lecture

1 of 2

noun

lec·​ture ˈlek-chər How to pronounce lecture (audio)
-shər
1
: a discourse given before an audience or class especially for instruction
2
: a formal reproof
lectureship noun

lecture

2 of 2

verb

lectured; lecturing ˈlek-chə-riŋ How to pronounce lecture (audio)
ˈlek-shriŋ

intransitive verb

: to deliver a lecture or a course of lectures

transitive verb

1
: to deliver a lecture to
2
: to reprove formally
lecturer
ˈlek-chər-ər How to pronounce lecture (audio)
ˈlek-shrər
noun

Examples of lecture in a Sentence

Noun She's planning to give a series of lectures on modern art. Several hundred people are expected to attend the lecture. I came home late and got a lecture from my parents. I gave her a lecture about doing better in school. Verb She lectures in art at the local college. They lectured their children about the importance of honesty. I lectured her about doing better in school.
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.
Noun
The Americans were prepared for a lecture from Russia’s longtime foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, who is well known for his tedious harangues. Michael Crowley, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025 That tracks with a 2017 video lecture Baldoni gave as part of a Baha’i Teachings series titled What if Birth and Death Are Actually the Same? Peter Kiefer, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
For Vance to lecture the Germans on how to govern themselves—the Germans, who rose from the traumas of Nazism to build a vibrant and enduring democracy—was inappropriate and bizarre. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025 Every purchase is scrutinized — last week, I was lectured for buying a name-brand cereal. Anna Pulley, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lecture

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, act of reading, from Late Latin lectura, from Latin lectus, past participle of legere

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1590, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of lecture was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Lecture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lecture. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

lecture

1 of 2 noun
lec·​ture ˈlek-chər How to pronounce lecture (audio)
-shər
1
: a talk given before an audience or class especially for instruction
2

lecture

2 of 2 verb
lectured; lecturing ˈlek-chə-riŋ How to pronounce lecture (audio)
ˈlek-shriŋ
1
: to give a lecture or a series of lectures
2
: to instruct by lectures
3
lecturer
-chər-ər How to pronounce lecture (audio)
-shrər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lecture

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