preach

verb

ˈprēch 

preached; preaching; preaches

intransitive verb

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

My mother always preached the value/virtue of a good education.

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.

preachingly

ˈprē-chiŋ-lē 

adverb

see also:

preach to the choir

Synonyms of preach

• evangelize
• sermonize

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

Its advocates preach the environmental and emotional benefits of natural burials and encourage mourners to bear witness to a corpse in its unprocessed state before it is borne away to a funeral home. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

When speaking this offseason, Parsons preached patience and a long-term outlook instead of the need to rush back. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Campaign signs are plastered across the district, town halls have been hosted, endorsements bestowed, Sunday sermons preached. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026

In-flight evangelists have preached sermons and busted out guitars in recent years. — Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prechen, from Anglo-French precher, from Late Latin praedicare, from Latin, to proclaim, make known, from prae- pre- + dicare to proclaim — more at diction

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing preach

• preach to the choir
• preach to the converted

Rhymes for preach

• beach
• beech
• bleach
• breach
• breech
• each
• keech
• leach
• leech
• meech
• peach
• reach

Kids Definition

preach

verb

ˈprēch 

1

a

: to deliver a sermon : utter publicly

b

: to set forth in a sermon

preach the gospel

2

: to urge publicly : advocate

preach brotherhood