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?

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prayer ² American  

[prey-er] / ˈpreɪ ər /

noun

1. a person who prays.

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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

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prayer ² British  

/ ˈpreɪə /

noun

1. a person who prays

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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; precarious

Origin of prayer²

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English preier(e), preyare; pray; -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

St Michael and All Angels church in the village said it would be joining in prayer and lighting candles on Sunday afternoon.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

At Al-Aqsa, Islam's third holiest site which was closed during most of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this year, thousands of worshippers performed the ritual dawn prayer under a heavy police presence.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

My grandfather was named Fuchang—“wealth and prosperity”—a hopeful prayer for a life the land rarely provided.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Bridges said at the time that he would “continue to lift my former partner up in prayer, wishing them joy and fulfillment in the chapters ahead.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Though we had miles to go before an oasis, and farther still to the next staging post before Kashgar, I spoke a prayer of thanks.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• appeal
• invocation
• plea
• service
• worship