preach

verb

\ ˈprēch

preached; preaching; preaches

Definition of preach

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 debt — Amer. Guide Series: Va.

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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

The most important part of ministry isn’t necessarily preaching, but listening. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "How faith leaders respond to tragedies like the California wildfires," 21 Nov. 2018 Minter’s is an unsubtle art that preaches to the choir. — Charles Desmarais, SFChronicle.com, "Charles Desmarais’ art picks for June 24," 22 June 2018 During the campaign, the Association of Catholic Priests urged its members not to preach politics from the pulpit. — New York Times, "Ireland Votes to End Abortion Ban, in Rebuke to Catholic Conservatism," 26 May 2018 Colts General Manager Chris Ballard has preached about building through the draft. — Matthew Vantryon, Indianapolis Star, "People absolutely love Chris Ballard after Colts trade with Jets," 17 Mar. 2018 How could a tastemaker who preached the gospel of modernism become a convert to the baubles and trimmings of postmodernism? — Mary Ann Gwinn, The Seattle Times, "A closer look at three National Book Critics Circle finalists," 20 Feb. 2019 Related The archbishop, who had preached passionately against military violence, political repression and economic inequities, was immediately upon his death revered as a martyr by devotees in his country and abroad. — Francis X. Rocca, WSJ, "Pope Grants Sainthood to El Salvador’s Martyred Archbishop Romero," 14 Oct. 2018 The ordinance would not prohibit churches from preaching, ministering or otherwise speaking about the issue. — Jeff Rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Shorewood might ban gay conversion therapy, following the lead of dozens of other cities," 8 May 2018 Roseanne Barr's acerbic and biting humor was candid, the Conners didn't try to impress or preach from a moral high ground, and the real-life problems faced by the characters were incredibly relatable. — refinery29.com, "All The Best Celeb Appearances On Roseanne To Get You Ready For The Reboot," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'preach.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.