sermon

[ sur-muhn ]

/ ˈsɜr mən /

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See synonyms for: sermon / sermons on Thesaurus.com

noun

a discourse for the purpose of religious instruction or exhortation, especially one based on a text of Scripture and delivered by a member of the clergy as part of a religious service.

any serious speech, discourse, or exhortation, especially on a moral issue.

a long, tedious speech.

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OTHER WORDS FOR sermon

2, 3 lecture.

3 harangue, tirade.

See synonyms for sermon on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

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Origin of sermon

1150–1200; Middle English <Medieval Latin sermōn- (stem of sermō) speech from pulpit, Latin: discourse, equivalent to ser- (base of serere to link up, organize) + -mōn- noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM sermon

ser·mon·less, adjective

Words nearby sermon

serjeant at arms, serjeant at law, serjeanty, Serkin, Serlio, sermon, sermonette, sermonic, sermonize, Sermon on the Mount, sero-

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

How to use sermon in a sentence

Loeffler dug into his past sermons and church affiliations, most prominently noting that a church with which he was affiliated decades ago had invited Fidel Castro to speak.
Four takeaways from Democrats’ big wins in the Georgia Senate runoffs|Amber Phillips|January 6, 2021|Washington Post
The ad is spliced with snippets of Warnock yelling during sermons.
Raphael Warnock’s campaign for the moral high ground|Clyde McGrady|January 2, 2021|Washington Post
The play presents itself as a time-transcending sermon of sorts, as Hamer addresses the modern audience through the gaze of her civil rights era perspective.
Arena Stage returns to live performances with an outdoor production of the rousing ‘Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It!’|Thomas Floyd|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
He says the couple didn’t appreciate his most recent sermon, which urged Christians to call out and challenge racism anywhere they saw it, including in their own church.
Evangelicals are looking for answers online. They’re finding QAnon instead.|Abby Ohlheiser|August 26, 2020|MIT Technology Review

Every day a new sermon was delivered to me with a bow on it.
When Jesus Freaks Go Bad|Eugene Robinson|August 6, 2020|Ozy
A Gaylard Williams Sunday sermon (which lasted for 45 minutes on average) was something to behold.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
King says in a sermon a month later at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama.
Tavis Smiley Humanely Chronicles MLK’s Sad Last Year|Scott Porch|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Germany, a prominent Muslim imam gave a sermon asking Allah to kill all of the “Zionist Jews.”
Europe’s Jews Punished for Israel’s War|Eli Lake|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I agree with what the sermon was and what it was about,” she said.
Artist Gives Celebs the ‘Natural’ Look|Justin Jones|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Your sermon this Sunday morning: Is the power of prayer enough to overcome the German defense?
Argentina Doesn’t Have A Prayer Today. Lucky Them?|Kevin Bleyer|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I felt just the same when I was married myself; but it's nothing to preaching one's first sermon.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The author of the life of St. Francis Xavier, asserts, that "by one sermon he converted ten thousand persons in a desert island."
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
A clergyman observed in his sermon, that this was unpardonable, as people did it with their eyes open.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Many years ago, while a clergyman on the coast of Cornwall was in the midst of his sermon, the alarm was given, A wreck!
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
In the churchyard, under a great tree, still standing, John Wesley preached his last open-air sermon.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for sermon

sermon

/ (ˈsɜːmən) /

noun

an address of religious instruction or exhortation, often based on a passage from the Bible, esp one delivered during a church service
a written version of such an address

a serious speech, esp one administering reproof

Derived forms of sermon

sermonic (sɜːˈmɒnɪk) or sermonical, adjective

Word Origin for sermon

C12: via Old French from Latin sermō discourse, probably from serere to join together

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

sermon

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British Dictionary definitions for sermon

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