blessing

noun

bless·​ing ˈble-siŋ How to pronounce blessing (audio)
1
a
: the act or words of one that blesses
say the blessing over the wine
a priestly blessing
b
: approval, encouragement
asked her parents for their blessing before he proposed
2
: a thing conducive to happiness or welfare
My daughter is a blessing to me in my old age.
Their absence turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Count your blessings.
3
: grace (see grace entry 1 sense 5) said at a meal
said the blessing before dinner

Examples of blessing in a Sentence

Presumably he was acting with the government's blessing. They got married without their parents' blessing. We asked the Lord's blessing on us and on our project. He said a blessing before the meal.
Recent Examples on the Web With Hannah’s blessing, production on the feature was set into motion — this time to immortalize the completion of what would be the band’s third and final album, Give It Right Back. Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 And if love comes along the way, then what a blessing. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 The losses might have been a blessing in disguise as Head-Royce was placed as the No. 16 seed in Division III and lost to No. 1 seed Santa Cruz in the first round of NorCal playoffs. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 According to Islamic scholars, this night of worship is equivalent to a thousand nights of worship, as the night provides great rewards and blessings. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 All members of the family, including the bride and groom, served traditional Gujrati food to the local community to seek their blessings. USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024 The descriptive setup instructions are a blessing when putting this one together. Katrina Cossey, Parents, 1 Mar. 2024 The final day of February arrives with an abundance of blessings from St. Vincent. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Feb. 2024 It's been a blessing to come into my own in fashion. Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blessing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see bless

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of blessing was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near blessing

Cite this Entry

“Blessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blessing. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

blessing

noun
bless·​ing
ˈbles-iŋ
1
: the act or words of one that blesses
2
: approval
gave my blessing to the plan
3
: something that makes one happy or content
4
: grace said at a meal

More from Merriam-Webster on blessing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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