lectern

noun

lec·​tern ˈlek-tərn 

: a stand used to support a book or script in a convenient position for a standing reader or speaker

especially : one from which scripture lessons are read in a church service

Examples of lectern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Scattered around the lectern at the demonstration were inflatable eyeballs. —Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026

Green shouted toward the lectern as Republicans jeered, some attempting unsuccessfully to pull the sign from his hands. —Nik Popli, Time, 25 Feb. 2026

In mid-January, an unassuming man in khakis and a button-down shirt walked to a wooden lectern at a school board meeting in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. —Jennifer Berry Hawes, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026

At the front of the room, next to the main lectern, stood a second lectern approximately half as high. —Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lettorne, from Anglo-French leitrun, from Medieval Latin lectrinum, from Late Latin lectrum, from Latin legere to read — more at legend

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lectern

noun

lec·​tern ˈlek-tərn 

: a desk to read from while standing

especially : one from which scripture lessons are read in a church service