pulpit

[ pool-pit, puhl- ]

/ ˈpʊl pɪt, ˈpʌl- /

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See synonyms for pulpit on Thesaurus.com

noun

a platform or raised structure in a church, from which the sermon is delivered or the service is conducted.

the pulpit,

the clerical profession; the ministry.
members of the clergy collectively: In attendance were representatives of medicine, the pulpit, and the bar.

(especially in Protestantism and Judaism) the position of pastor or rabbi: He heard of a pulpit in Chicago that was about to be vacated.

the work of a preacher; preaching.

bully pulpit.

(in small craft)

a safety rail rising about 18 to 30 inches (48 to 76 centimeters) from the deck near the bow and extending around it.
a similar rail at the stern.

a control booth in a factory, usually elevated and glass-enclosed, from which an operator can observe and direct the manufacturing process.

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Origin of pulpit

First recorded in 1300–50; Anglo-Norman pulpit, pulputte, French, Middle French pulpite, from Latin pulpitum “platform, scaffold, stage,” and also in Late Latin “pulpit”

OTHER WORDS FROM pulpit

pul·pit·al, adjectivepul·pit·less, adjective

Words nearby pulpit

pulp cavity, pulp chamber, pulpectomy, pulp fiction, pulping, pulpit, pulpiteer, pulpitum, pulpotomy, pulp plaster, pulpwood

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pulpit in a sentence

We have to use our pulpits and platforms to advocate for peace, for policies and programs.
God And Guns|Kimberly Winston|November 4, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
The decision to carry a gun in the pulpit, put about 20 of the church’s 187 members through security training and ensure 10 of them are armed every Sunday morning was made after prayer and reflection, he said.
God And Guns|Kimberly Winston|November 4, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
It can’t just be talking points, it can’t just be words from a pulpit, you have to put action behind it.
He Robbed a Taco Joint With a Toy Water Gun for $264. He Got Life in Prison.|Kate Briquelet|May 31, 2021|The Daily Beast
The broadcasts have become a pulpit for the president’s verbal attacks against those who disagree with him.
Rodrigo Duterte Is Using One of the World's Longest COVID-19 Lockdowns to Strengthen His Grip on the Philippines|Aie Balagtas See / Manila|March 15, 2021|Time

Gloria made clear he will use his mayoral pulpit to champion the plan.
7 Big Promises and Priorities From Gloria’s State of the City Address|Lisa Halverstadt and MacKenzie Elmer|January 14, 2021|Voice of San Diego
A Belgian church has a chalkboard sitting at the pulpit with the jungle peeking through the windows behind it.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Reinke lost his pulpit and was drummed out of the conservative Missouri Synod of the Lutheran denomination.
The Pastor Who Scandalized His Town|Lloyd Grove|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is also accused of using the pulpit to further a cult of personality surrounding himself.
Another Mega Church Implodes|Warren Throckmorton|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To Hice, I suppose, speaking the “biblical truth” means endorsing John McCain from the pulpit, like he did in 2008.
Meet the Man Running for Congress on an Anti-Muslim Platform|Dean Obeidallah|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Look, Hice has every right to spew his hate from the pulpit to those who chose to attend his services.
Jody Hice: Mr. Bigot Goes to Washington?|Dean Obeidallah|June 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Samuel Badcock, an English divine and writer, died; admired as a pulpit orator and a man of literary talent.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
"It has been a most merciful escape," Maloney said, his pulpit voice struggling with his emotion.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
A mob attacked him in the pulpit; the military fired upon the people, and 10 persons were killed and 16 wounded.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The lectern, as the pulpit-stand in English churches is called, was fashioned of oak taken from Nelson's flagship, the Victory.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
Against plays, players, and playgoers they waged in pulpit and pamphlet a warfare characterized by the most intense fanaticism.
Shakespearean Playhouses|Joseph Quincy Adams

British Dictionary definitions for pulpit

pulpit

/ (ˈpʊlpɪt) /

noun

a raised platform, usually surrounded by a barrier, set up in churches as the appointed place for preaching, leading in prayer, etc

any similar raised structure, such as a lectern

a medium for expressing an opinion, such as a column in a newspaper

the pulpit

the preaching of the Christian message
the clergy or their message and influence

Word Origin for pulpit

C14: from Latin pulpitum a platform

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pulpit

Origin of pulpit

OTHER WORDS FROM pulpit

Words nearby pulpit

Words related to pulpit

How to use pulpit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pulpit

Word Origin for pulpit