preach

verb

preached; preaching; preaches
Synonyms of preachnext

intransitive verb

1
: to deliver a sermon
2
: to urge acceptance or abandonment of an idea or course of action
specifically : to exhort in an officious or tiresome manner

transitive verb

1
: to set forth in a sermon
preach the gospel
2
: to advocate earnestly
preached revolution
My mother always preached the value/virtue of a good education.
3
: to deliver (something, such as a sermon) publicly
4
: to bring, put, or affect by preaching
preached the … Church out of debt …Amer. Guide Series: Va.
preachingly adverb

Examples of preach in a Sentence

Have you ever heard that minister preach? The minister preached to the congregation about the need for tolerance. His followers listened to him preach the gospel. The priest preached a regular sermon that Sunday. Their mother has always preached the value of a good education. Practice what you preach—don't smoke if you tell your children not to smoke. The mayor continues to preach about the need for patience. I don't like being preached at about how I should live my life.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Walter, who had left the Progressive Labor Party, didn’t preach Marxism to his son, but Riley embraced a radical-left viewpoint on his own, after tagging along with some cute older girls who were participating in a cannery workers’ strike. Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026 Restaurants build menus around the turning of the seasons; online influencers preach the value of foraging and eating locally. Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 17 May 2026 The titular Jim is an Insta-famous gym queen — the filmmakers made an account to follow several gay influencers during production for research — who preaches self-love but looks down on anyone who doesn’t fit his own standard of beauty. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 15 May 2026 Rather, Leo seems inspired by the calm, persistent zeal to preach the Gospel and — thanks to his Augustinian spirituality — emphasize community and harmony. Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for preach

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prechen, from Anglo-French precher, from Late Latin praedicare, from Latin, to proclaim, make known, from prae- pre- + dicare to proclaim — more at diction

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preach was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preach. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

preach

verb
1
a
: to deliver a sermon : utter publicly
b
: to set forth in a sermon
preach the gospel
2
: to urge publicly : advocate
preach brotherhood

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