lesson
Americannoun
-
lessons
plural
-
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.
-
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.
-
something to be learned or studied.
the lessons of the past.
-
a useful piece of practical wisdom acquired by experience or study.
That accident certainly taught him a lesson in careful driving.
-
something from which a person learns or should learn; an instructive example.
Her faith should serve as a lesson to all of us.
-
a reproof or punishment intended to teach one better ways.
-
a portion of Scripture or other sacred writing read or appointed to be read at a divine service; lection; pericope.
verb (used with object)
-
to teach; instruct; give a lesson to.
-
to admonish or reprove.
noun
-
-
a unit, or single period of instruction in a subject; class
an hour-long music lesson
-
the content of such a unit
-
-
material assigned for individual study
-
something from which useful knowledge or principles can be learned; example
-
the principles, knowledge, etc, gained
-
a reprimand or punishment intended to correct
-
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:
He chalked it up as “tuition” for a lesson on making sure he’s on the airline’s actual website going forward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Nettles folded a 9/11 lesson into a unit on the Columbian Exchange — the trade of plants, animals, culture and disease that began after Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Sister Schubert’s learned the harder lesson: once invented, we would prefer that you not take it away.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
The findings reinforce a broader lesson emerging from research on alternative sweeteners.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
But Master Gogolev was too distracted by his own troubles to give a lesson on Hamlet.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
And inside their homes, parents find ways to impart their own lessons, translating trauma into family history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
"This makes it different from other protests, so we need to make sure we are learning lessons."
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
“I wish I’d gone to swimming lessons instead of writing stories about fish!”
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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.
