prayer

¹ American  

[prair] / prɛər /

noun

1. a devout petition to God or an object of worship.

2. a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.

3. the act or practice of praying to God or an object of worship.

4. a formula or sequence of words used in or appointed for praying.

   the Lord's Prayer.

5. prayers, a religious observance, either public or private, consisting wholly or mainly of prayer.

6. that which is prayed for.

7. a petition; entreaty.

8. the section of a bill in equity, or of a petition, that sets forth the complaint or the action desired.

9. a negligible hope or chance.

   Do you think he has a prayer of getting that job?

---

prayer ² American  

[prey-er] / ˈpreɪ ər /

noun

1. a person who prays.

---

prayer ¹ British  

/ prɛə /

noun

1. 1. a personal communication or petition addressed to a deity, esp in the form of supplication, adoration, praise, contrition, or thanksgiving

   2. any other form of spiritual communion with a deity

2. a similar personal communication that does not involve adoration, addressed to beings venerated as being closely associated with a deity, such as angels or saints

3. the practice of praying

   prayer is our solution to human problems

4. (often plural) a form of devotion, either public or private, spent mainly or wholly praying

   morning prayers

5. (capital when part of a recognized name) a form of words used in praying

   the Lord's Prayer

6. an object or benefit prayed for

7. an earnest request, petition, or entreaty

8. law a request contained in a petition to a court for the relief sought by the petitioner

9. slang a chance or hope

   she doesn't have a prayer of getting married

---

prayer ² British  

/ ˈpreɪə /

noun

1. a person who prays

---

Other Word Forms

• prayerless
  adjective
• prayerlessly
  adverb
• prayerlessness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of prayer¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English preier(e), preire, from Old French priiere, preiere, from Medieval Latin precāria, noun use of feminine of precārius “given as a favor, obtained by entreaty,” equivalent to prec- (stem of prex ) “prayer, supplication” + -ārius -ary; cf. precarious

Origin of prayer²

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English preier(e), preyare; see origin at pray; see also -er ¹ ( def. ).

Explanation

A prayer is something you say to a god or deity. Your prayer can be silent words of thanks or a plea for help that's spoken out loud. Most religious believers say a prayer from time to time. While some people might use prayer as part of their plan for recovering from an illness, others bend their heads in prayer whenever they attend church or temple services. You can also say a non-religious prayer, just an entreaty or request for help. Prayer, from the Old French prier, has a Latin root: precaria, "obtained by prayer or given as a favor."

Example Sentences

But then he offers, again, both a hope and a prayer, invoking Renee Good’s last words, quoting John Lewis, and urging the audience to get into “good trouble”: “Say something! Do something! Help! Sing something!”

From Salon • May 28, 2026

Kaziha would stock the mosque’s store with books, always anticipating the community’s needs, finding introductory prayer books and Spanish translations for the mosque’s growing Latino population.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

A physician who grew up in and works in San Diego, Aayeh Fatayerji, tells the BBC she attended the prayer to "stand in solidarity with the community after this despicable act of hate".

From BBC • May 22, 2026

That led those who were ill to go to "prayer centres" instead of consulting health professionals.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

I wasn’t up for watching Buzz’s demo reel or hearing about the friendly-faced Buddha she needed for the Tibetan prayer room she was designing.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• appeal
• invocation
• plea
• service
• worship