sermon

noun

ser·​mon ˈsər-mən How to pronounce sermon (audio)
1
: a religious discourse delivered in public usually by a member of the clergy as a part of a worship service
2
: a speech on conduct or duty
sermonic adjective

Examples of sermon in a Sentence

He preached a sermon on the importance of kindness. Dad gave me a sermon yesterday about doing my homework.
Recent Examples on the Web Now $500,000 richer, Frey did not let his winnings effect his Sunday church sermon. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024 Before giving his sermons, Jesus spent 40 days traveling in the desert, where he was tempted by Satan, according to the Bible. Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2024 For months, local activists have called neighbors and friends urging them to vote, while some faith leaders included those pleas in their sermons. Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2024 Julianna Farquharson from Conard High School spoke on King’s sermon about the drum major instinct that guides individuals in their desires and motivations to be the best. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024 The tactic obliges viewers to lean forward and intuit meaning from Smith’s haunting, hypnotic sermons on death as they’re forced to exist in close proximity to actual death and destruction. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Feb. 2024 His services draw 45,000 attendees to the Houston area church weekly, in addition to people around the nation who tune in for online and television sermons, according to his website. Steve Almasy, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 Clips of Mullins' sermons were posted on X, formerly Twitter, by an account called Ohio Legislative Watch. Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 24 Jan. 2024 January 17, 2024 Kevin James once heard a sermon in church that gave a name to his mission: The Hard Reset. Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sermon.' 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

Middle English, from Anglo-French sermun, from Medieval Latin sermon-, sermo, from Latin, speech, conversation, from serere to link together — more at series

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near sermon

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

sermon

noun
ser·​mon ˈsər-mən How to pronounce sermon (audio)
1
: a public speech usually by a priest, minister, or rabbi for the purpose of giving religious instruction
2
: a speech on conduct or duty

More from Merriam-Webster on sermon

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