Definition

1. Verb:
   • To deliver a religious sermon or discourse: To publicly proclaim or teach religious principles, especially as part of a church service.
   • To advocate or urge the acceptance of something, often moralistically: To earnestly recommend or try to persuade others to adopt a particular belief, principle, or course of action.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Religious context):
  • The pastor will preach about forgiveness this Sunday.
  • Missionaries traveled to preach the gospel in remote villages.
• Verb (Advocacy context):
  • He constantly preaches the importance of a healthy diet.
  • She preaches tolerance and understanding in all her lectures.

Advanced Usage

• "to preach to the choir": To try to persuade people who already agree with you; to state an opinion to those who are already convinced.
  • Telling this environmental group to recycle is just preaching to the choir.
• "to practice what you preach": To behave in the way you advise others to behave.
  • A good leader should practice what they preach.

Variants and Related Words

• Preacher (n): A person, often a member of the clergy, who preaches.
  • The preacher gave an inspiring sermon.
• Preaching (n): The act of delivering a sermon or moral advice.
  • His preaching on charity moved the congregation.

Synonyms

• Advocate: To publicly recommend or support.
• Exhort: To strongly encourage or urge someone to do something.
• Sermonize: To deliver or compose a sermon; to moralize in a lengthy or tedious way.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Preach at (someone): To address someone in a morally superior, lecturing, or nagging manner.
  • I wish my parents would advise me instead of preaching at me.
• Preach against: To speak publicly in opposition to something.
  • The activist preached against the injustices of the system.

Related Idioms

• Preach to the converted: Similar to "preach to the choir," meaning to try to convince people who are already in agreement.
  • Arguing for basic human rights here is like preaching to the converted.

Verb

1. speak, plead, or argue in favor of
   • The doctor advocated a smoking ban in the entire house
2. deliver a sermon
   • The minister is not preaching this Sunday