lesson
Americannoun
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lessons
plural
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a section into which a course of study is divided, especially a single, continuous session of formal instruction in a subject.
The manual was broken down into 50 lessons.
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a part of a book, an exercise, etc., that is assigned to a student for study.
The lesson for today is on page 22. He worked assiduously at his music lesson.
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something to be learned or studied.
the lessons of the past.
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a useful piece of practical wisdom acquired by experience or study.
That accident certainly taught him a lesson in careful driving.
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something from which a person learns or should learn; an instructive example.
Her faith should serve as a lesson to all of us.
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a reproof or punishment intended to teach one better ways.
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a portion of Scripture or other sacred writing read or appointed to be read at a divine service; lection; pericope.
verb (used with object)
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to teach; instruct; give a lesson to.
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to admonish or reprove.
noun
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a unit, or single period of instruction in a subject; class
an hour-long music lesson
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the content of such a unit
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material assigned for individual study
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something from which useful knowledge or principles can be learned; example
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the principles, knowledge, etc, gained
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a reprimand or punishment intended to correct
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a portion of Scripture appointed to be read at divine service
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lesson
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English lesso(u)n, from Old French leçon, from Latin lēctiōn-, stem of lēctiō “a reading”; see lection
Explanation
When a story has something to teach its reader, it has a lesson. The lessons of many folktales range from "always tell the truth" to "be brave" to "find a prince." There are different kinds of lessons, but they're all meant to teach someone how to do something or some new information. In a French lesson, a teacher teaches you the French language, and in a sewing lesson, you'll learn how to make something using fabric and a sewing machine. A typical day at school is one lesson after another. Originally, lesson had two meanings: "something learned by a student" and "a reading aloud from the Bible."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His challenge was to make this lesson more than just another unit on the syllabus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
For the French Riviera, the lesson is straightforward: an alert is valuable, but knowing where to go can be just as important.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
There’s a business lesson in here too, and it has nothing to do with genomes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Take a lesson from Harryhausen’s terrible, incredible monsters; bring it all out into the light of day.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
The Nazis censored every newspaper, radio broadcast, movie, sermon, and classroom lesson.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
But sports were such a ubiquitous part of their lives that, naturally, they became a canvas for conveying those lessons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Despite these changes, some lessons remained unlearnt for years after 9/11.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Yet the investor who was an early partner at Citadel continually draws on lessons from his second undergraduate major: anthropology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
First, another word from Justin: “The lessons I learned around system fluency, decisions and leadership have become even more amplified in the age of AI,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
We even had easy lessons when they were absent.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
