sermon

noun

ser·​mon ˈsər-mən 

1

: a religious discourse delivered in public usually by a member of the clergy as a part of a worship service

2

: a speech on conduct or duty

sermonic

ˌsər-ˈmä-nik 

adjective

Synonyms

• homily

Examples of sermon in a Sentence

He preached a sermon on the importance of kindness.

Dad gave me a sermon yesterday about doing my homework.

Recent Examples on the Web

Entire chapters of the gospels are devoted to Jesus’s sermons, parables, and private conversations with His disciples. —Dominic Pino, National Review, 20 Apr. 2025

According to Taylor Swift sermon is at 11 a.m. to noon, Sunday, April 27, inside the sanctuary at Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 DeSoto Blvd., and will stream online at gablesucc.org/live. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025

One poem appears in a ninth-century anthology, and a tenth-century Bishop of Verona mentioned him in a sermon; otherwise, nothing. —Daniel Mendelsohn, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025

Suh’s chatbots are trained on archives of a church’s sermons and information from its website. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French sermun, from Medieval Latin sermon-, sermo, from Latin, speech, conversation, from serere to link together — more at series

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sermon

• birman
• burman
• ermine
• firman
• german
• kirman
• spermine
• termen
• termine
• vermin
• determine
• predetermine

Kids Definition

sermon

noun

ser·​mon ˈsər-mən 

1

: a public speech usually by a priest, minister, or rabbi for the purpose of giving religious instruction

2

: a speech on conduct or duty