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preach

Syllabification: (preach)

Pronunciation: /prēCH/

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Definition of preach

verb

[no object]

deliver a sermon or religious address to an assembled group of people, typically in church:he preached to a large congregation [with object]:our pastor will preach the sermon
[with object] publicly proclaim or teach (a religious message or belief):a church that preaches the good news
[with object] earnestly advocate (a belief or course of action):my parents have always preached toleration and moderation
give moral advice to someone in an annoying or pompously self-righteous way:viewers want to be entertained, not preached at

Phrases

preach to the choir (or the converted): advocate something to people who already share one’s convictions about its merits or importance.

Derivatives

preaching

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French prechier, from Latin praedicare 'proclaim', in ecclesiastical Latin 'preach', from prae 'before' + dicare 'declare'

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Other

preach

verb

Phrases

preach to the choir (or the converted)

Derivatives

preaching

Origin:

preach in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for preach

More words in this category

Shop for an Oxford dictionary

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