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
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
The minister called him to the front of the church after the sermon to introduce him to the lawmaker.
—
Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2023
And the worst part is most people around me were applauding his garbage sermon.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2023
The novelty of these sermons, the physical distance of the mosques, and the hierarchical structure of Shiite practice all helped mobilize residents in a way that the bonds of tribe, ideology, and Sunni practice could not.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023
Barely a dozen people showed up for his first sermons in fall 2020; these days, sometimes 100 faces are looking up at him.
—Alison Miller, Washington Post, 9 July 2023
During the next few centuries, preaching brief sermons or homilies became increasingly important during the celebration of Sunday Mass.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 6 July 2023
And in Dezful, a small conservative city in the southwest, a similar vocalist delivered a scathing sermon against the government as the crowd marched in a ritual procession.
—Farnaz Fassihi, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2023
Inside Legacy Arena, Motion had the vibe of a rock concert, but with bands performing Christian music in between sermons by evangelists.
—Greg Garrison | , al, 28 July 2023
In previous years, maddahs in Iran occasionally delivered sermons with mild and indirect criticism of the government.
—Farnaz Fassihi, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2023
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Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2023
And the worst part is most people around me were applauding his garbage sermon.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2023
The novelty of these sermons, the physical distance of the mosques, and the hierarchical structure of Shiite practice all helped mobilize residents in a way that the bonds of tribe, ideology, and Sunni practice could not.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023
Barely a dozen people showed up for his first sermons in fall 2020; these days, sometimes 100 faces are looking up at him.
—Alison Miller, Washington Post, 9 July 2023
During the next few centuries, preaching brief sermons or homilies became increasingly important during the celebration of Sunday Mass.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 6 July 2023
And in Dezful, a small conservative city in the southwest, a similar vocalist delivered a scathing sermon against the government as the crowd marched in a ritual procession.
—Farnaz Fassihi, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2023
Inside Legacy Arena, Motion had the vibe of a rock concert, but with bands performing Christian music in between sermons by evangelists.
—Greg Garrison | , al, 28 July 2023
In previous years, maddahs in Iran occasionally delivered sermons with mild and indirect criticism of the government.
—Farnaz Fassihi, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sermon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near sermon
Cite this Entry
“Sermon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sermon. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on sermon
Nglish: Translation of sermon for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sermon for Arabic Speakers
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