pulpit

American  

[pool-pit, puhl-] / ˈpʊl pɪt, ˈpʌl- /

noun

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

2. the pulpit,

   1. the clerical profession; the ministry.

   2. members of the clergy collectively.

      In attendance were representatives of medicine, the pulpit, and the bar.

3. (especially in Protestantism and Judaism) the position of pastor or rabbi.

   He heard of a pulpit in Chicago that was about to be vacated.

4. the work of a preacher; preaching.

5. bully pulpit.

6. (in small craft)

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

   2. a similar rail at the stern.

7. 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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pulpit British  

/ ˈpʊlpɪt /

noun

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

2. any similar raised structure, such as a lectern

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

4. 1. the preaching of the Christian message

   2. the clergy or their message and influence

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Other Word Forms

• pulpital adjective
• pulpitless adjective

Etymology

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”

Explanation

If you go into a church and see a minister speaking from a high platform, he's speaking from the pulpit. Pulpit was originally used to refer to the platform in a church that a preacher speaks from, but we often use it metaphorically for any kind of preaching, whether it's religious or not. If someone is trying to tell everyone else how to live, they're speaking from the pulpit, whether they're preaching the embrace of root vegetables or warning us that we will be attacked by aliens.

Example Sentences

As an incumbent, Bass will always have the advantage of her City Hall bully pulpit, said Fernando Guerra, political science professor at Loyola Marymount University.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026

The Health Secretary has also used his bully pulpit to attack products he views as toxins, including pesticides and fluoride in water.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

The Prince of Wales gave a Bible reading from the pulpit.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

“Dead Man” takes aim at hypocritical strong men who grandstand on a pulpit.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

Told him with a hard stare from the pulpit.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• lectern
• podium