as in lesson
a public speech usually by a member of the clergy for the purpose of giving moral guidance or uplift
a sermon whose message was that we should love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sermon
Kish won’t use magic during sermons.
—
Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Separately, Sarah Mullally, the archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to head the Church of England, delivered her first Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday.
—Reuters, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
When Buchdahl gave the sermon, Israel and Hamas had not yet reached an agreement to stop the Gaza war.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The homily during the liturgy of the Word marks the archbishop’s first sermon as archbishop.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sermon
Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Separately, Sarah Mullally, the archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to head the Church of England, delivered her first Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday.
—Reuters, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
When Buchdahl gave the sermon, Israel and Hamas had not yet reached an agreement to stop the Gaza war.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The homily during the liturgy of the Word marks the archbishop’s first sermon as archbishop.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sermon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sermon
Noun
-
McMahon had a career’s worth of lessons in the virtues of bombast, and also in the dangers of it.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
And through all of her time spent in France over the years, she’s picked up a lesson that helps make her frequent travel a little more streamlined.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Journalists in the bubble get the pope’s speeches ahead of time and have occasional access to delegation members, as well as other information in real time from the Vatican spokesman.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Barbara Deer was a speech language pathologist for nearly two decades at Chicago Public Schools, CEO of the consulting company Metamorphosis Health and headed the nonprofit Juneteenth Illinois.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Leo used his homily at Mass in the Monaco stadium to do just that, urging the faithful to reject the type of idolatry that has enslaved people in cycles of war and injustice.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Beneath the metallic veneer, though, her songs had the tenderness and precision of a homily.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Monday’s lecture was a bit more heartfelt.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Like Secretary Shultz, Stan never once sat me down to give a lecture.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sermon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sermon. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
