kneel

verb

knelt ˈnelt How to pronounce kneel (audio) or kneeled; kneeling

intransitive verb

: to position the body so that one or both knees rest on the floor
The prisoners were ordered to kneel.
: to fall or rest on the knees
She kneeled on the floor next to the child.

Examples of kneel in a Sentence

She was kneeling on the floor beside her child. He was kneeling in front of the altar and praying.
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.
The beds allow easy access to each plant without back-breaking hoeing or kneeling to pull weeds. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026 The man kneeled on the ground while propping up a ring box on the stage and grinned. William Earl, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026 Council then concluded his 3-minute, 13-second speech by kneeling and kissing the center-court Jayhawk, a fitting end to the speech portion of the afternoon. Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2026 Partial video publicly released by the Sheriff’s Office shows jailers pepper-spray Johnson and handcuff him facedown on the ground before one officer kneels on his back for about 90 seconds. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kneel

Word History

Etymology

Middle English knelen, from Old English cnēowlian; akin to Old English cnēow knee

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kneel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kneel. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

kneel

verb
knelt ˈnelt How to pronounce kneel (audio) or kneeled
ˈnē(ə)ld
; kneeling
: to bend the knee : support oneself on the knees
kneeler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on kneel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster