preach

verb

preached; preaching; preaches

intransitive verb

1
: to deliver a sermon
2
: to urge acceptance or abandonment of an idea or course of action
specifically : to exhort in an officious or tiresome manner

transitive verb

1
: to set forth in a sermon
preach the gospel
2
: to advocate earnestly
preached revolution
3
: to deliver (something, such as a sermon) publicly
4
: to bring, put, or affect by preaching
preached the … church out of debtAmer. Guide Series: Va.
preachingly adverb

Examples of preach in a Sentence

Have you ever heard that minister preach? The minister preached to the congregation about the need for tolerance. His followers listened to him preach the gospel. The priest preached a regular sermon that Sunday. Their mother has always preached the value of a good education. Practice what you preach—don't smoke if you tell your children not to smoke. The mayor continues to preach about the need for patience. I don't like being preached at about how I should live my life.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jackson, the leader of the offensive line, was preaching that to his teammates well before the preseason illnesses and injuries hit. Cameron Teague Robinson, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024 To preach a long-term process building toward something great. Nick Suss, The Tennessean, 30 Dec. 2024 Frank Kendall, who grew up on an apple farm and then rose to the pinnacle of the U.S. military, has preached the need for better preparation for the next big fight. Eric Lipton, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024 Now, Stobart has stopped using filler and instead preaches the importance of skin health through her skincare brand, Cosmetic Consult, as well as her podcast. Catherine Santino, People.com, 28 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for preach 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prechen, from Anglo-French precher, from Late Latin praedicare, from Latin, to proclaim, make known, from prae- pre- + dicare to proclaim — more at diction

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preach was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near preach

Cite this Entry

“Preach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preach. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

preach

verb
1
a
: to deliver a sermon : utter publicly
b
: to set forth in a sermon
preach the gospel
2
: to urge publicly : advocate
preach brotherhood

More from Merriam-Webster on preach

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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