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; 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

A daily prayer gathering dubbed “Morning Dew” was organized with house churches across China.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Supporters argued the gathering reflected America’s longstanding tradition of public religious expression and patriotic prayer.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

The popular Catholic prayer app Hallow adds some celebrity glamour with guided prayers from the actors including Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie, who played Jesus in the TV series “The Chosen.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Before games, JJ says a prayer and thinks of his father.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

After Mari Luz lights the candles and we say the Shabbat prayer together, we sit, and Juan Carlos tears us each a piece of braided challah bread.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• appeal
• invocation
• plea
• service
• worship