pulpit

American  

[pool-pit, puhl-] / ˈpʊl pɪt, ˈpʌl- /

noun

• pulpits
  plural

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pulpital
  adjective
• pulpitless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pulpits
  plural

---

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

See Examples For:

pulpit pulpits

As a Christian minister of an American Baptist congregation, I’ve spent more than 20 years in a pulpit — long enough to know the difference between protecting a church and conscripting one.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

Anamaria and her brother, John Paul, read passages from the Bible from a pulpit framed by flowers and a portrait of Sayre.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

If Warsh goes quiet while his colleagues continue to give economic-outlook speeches, a kind of unilateral disarmament could take hold where the chair forfeits the bully pulpit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Jin’s path to the pulpit was forged in the aftermath of a different crackdown: Tiananmen Square.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Reverend Okonjo and Wanda stood at the pulpit together, and just their presence alone inspired the audience to quiet down.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

ASLSP, moreover, reflects the magical unhurriedness the world craves, be it the slowing down of AI or turning down the volume on social media and politicians’ bully pulpits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Clergy preached independence from their pulpits, framing liberty and equality as moral obligations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

Photographers climbing medieval pulpits to get better angles could cause a major distraction, she said.

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2024

At the end of the day, only the preachers in the pulpits can reach the evangelical faithful.

From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2024

Why, it’s them that, not content with printin’ lies on paper an’ preachin’ them out of pulpits, does want to be cuttin’ them on the tombstones.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• lectern
• podium

---