pulpit

pul·pit | \ ˈpu̇l-ˌpit

How to pronounce pulpit (audio)

, ˈpəl-, -pət\

Definition of pulpit

1 : an elevated platform or high reading desk used in preaching or conducting a worship service

2a : the preaching profession

b : a preaching position

Examples of pulpit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Game is one of several former movement leaders who have left the pulpits of heterosexuality, come out as LGBTQ, and condemned conversion therapy as a dangerous and misleading practice. — USA TODAY, "Cat burglar, prison bats, USS Arizona Memorial: News from around our 50 states," 4 Sep. 2019 Around the same time that Trump was speaking, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker stood in the pulpit of a church that was the site of a mass shooting four years ago and argued that simply acknowledging white supremacy is insufficient. — Philip Elliott, Time, "The Democratic Candidates Drew a Sharp Contrast With Trump's Response to Shootings," 7 Aug. 2019 From Iraqi custody, Mr. Eithawi offered the most detailed account of Mr. Baghdadi since the Islamic State leader took to the pulpit of a mosque in Mosul in the summer of 2014. — Isabel Coles And, WSJ, "Prisoner Recounts Secret Meeting With ISIS Leader Baghdadi," 17 Aug. 2018 Over and over again, Spicer used his pulpit to bully the press and ignore the facts, maintaining a dangerous precedent of dishonesty that has remained a cornerstone of the Trump administration today, to increasingly horrifying effect. — Caroline Framke, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Sean Spicer’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ casting is a terrible, cynical ratings grab," 22 Aug. 2019 Using his pulpit and his access to the country through social media, mass communications, and the media. — Lissandra Villa/el Paso, Time, "Beto O'Rourke Finds His Voice Helping El Paso Grieve," 11 Aug. 2019 After being on the side of boyish transgression, Albinati suddenly seems like the priest in the pulpit. — Tim Parks, Harper's magazine, "Murder Italian Style," 19 Aug. 2019 When Falwell died in 2007 at age 73, his younger son, Jonathan, took over the pulpit at Thomas Road Baptist, and Jerry Jr. took over the university — an indication of where the heart of the ministry now was. — Alec Macgillis/propublica, New York Times, "How Liberty University Built a Billion-Dollar Empire Online," 17 Apr. 2018 After the song, Melinda Pittman, a parishioner who has been at St. Francis for 30 years, took the pulpit. — oregonlive.com, "Reverence and resistance in one of Portland’s oldest Catholic churches," 11 Aug. 2019

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

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Last Updated

26 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for pulpit

The first known use of pulpit was in the 14th century

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