sermon
Americannoun
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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.
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any serious speech, discourse, or exhortation, especially on a moral issue.
- Synonyms:
- lecture
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a long, tedious speech.
noun
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an address of religious instruction or exhortation, often based on a passage from the Bible, esp one delivered during a church service
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a written version of such an address
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a serious speech, esp one administering reproof
Other Word Forms
- sermonic adjective
- sermonless adjective
Etymology
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
Compare meaning
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will be part of the congregation representing King Charles, and will see Dame Sarah's first sermon as archbishop.
From BBC
By 1904, the congregation’s old guard had dismissed his preference for sermons presented in English rather than Yiddish, which many of their immigrant family members still preferred.
She will deliver her first sermon in the role at Canterbury Cathedral to a congregation featuring the Prince and Princess of Wales, representing the King at the historic ceremony.
From BBC
An imam standing on a plastic stool delivered a short sermon.
From Barron's
And in the Dutch Reformed Church, a minister’s first sermon in his first church was the most solemn, joyous, emotional occasion that an unemotional people could conceive.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
