sermon
[ sur-muhn ]
/ ˈsɜr mən /
noun
a discourse for the purpose of religious instruction or exhortation, especially one based on a text of Scripture and delivered by a member of the clergy as part of a religious service.
any serious speech, discourse, or exhortation, especially on a moral issue.
a long, tedious speech.
Origin of sermon
1150–1200; Middle English < Medieval Latin
sermōn- (stem of
sermō) speech from pulpit, Latin: discourse, equivalent to
ser- (base of
serere to link up, organize) +
-mōn- noun suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM sermon
ser·mon·less, adjectiveWords nearby sermon
serjeant at arms,
serjeant at law,
serjeanty,
serkin,
serlio,
sermon,
sermon on the mount,
sermonette,
sermonic,
sermonize,
sero-
Example sentences from the Web for sermon
British Dictionary definitions for sermon
sermon
/ (ˈsɜːmən) /
noun
- an address of religious instruction or exhortation, often based on a passage from the Bible, esp one delivered during a church service
- a written version of such an address
a serious speech, esp one administering reproof
Derived forms of sermon
sermonic (sɜːˈmɒnɪk) or sermonical, adjectiveWord Origin for sermon
C12: via Old French from Latin
sermō discourse, probably from
serere to join together