Preach

• POS: Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Preach, v. i. [OE. prechen, OF. preechier, F. prêcher, fr. L. praedicare to cry in public, to proclaim; prae before + dicare to make known, dicere to say; or perhaps from (assumed) LL. praedictare. See Diction, and cf. Predicate, Predict.].

•  To proclaim or publish tidings; specifically, to proclaim the gospel; to discourse publicly on a religious subject, or from a text of Scripture; to deliver a sermon.  [1913 Webster]

  "How shall they preach, except they be sent?"  [1913 Webster]

  "From that time Jesus began to preach."  [1913 Webster]
•  To give serious advice on morals or religion; to discourse in the manner of a preacher.  [1913 Webster]

Preach, v. t. 

•  To proclaim by public discourse; to utter in a sermon or a formal religious harangue.  [1913 Webster]

  "That Cristes gospel truly wolde preche."  [1913 Webster]

  "The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek."  [1913 Webster]
•  To inculcate in public discourse; to urge with earnestness by public teaching.  Ps. xl. 9.  [1913 Webster]
•  To deliver or pronounce; as, to preach a sermon.  [1913 Webster]
•  To teach or instruct by preaching; to inform by preaching.  Southey.  [1913 Webster]
•  To advise or recommend earnestly.  [1913 Webster]

  "My master preaches patience to him."  [1913 Webster]

To preach down, to oppress, or humiliate by preaching. Tennyson. -- To preach up, to exalt by preaching; to preach in support of; as, to preach up equality.

Preach, n. [Cf. F. prêche, fr. prêcher. See Preach, v.].

 A religious discourse.  Hooker.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Preach, v.
1 a intr. deliver a sermon or religious address. b tr. deliver (a sermon); proclaim or expound (the Gospel etc.).
2 intr. give moral advice in an obtrusive way.
3 tr. advocate or inculcate (a quality or practice etc.).

Derivative

preachable adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF prechier f. L praedicare proclaim, in eccl.L preach (as PRAE-, dicare declare)

THESAURUS

Preach

address, admonish, advise, advocate, catechize, caution, charge, counsel, deliver a lecture, discourse, encourage, enjoin, evangelize, exhort, explain, exposit, expostulate, expound, harangue, hold forth, homilize, incite, inculcate, induce, issue a caveat, lecture, minister, mission, missionary, moralize, move, persuade, point a moral, pontificate, preachify, preaching, preachment, prelect, prompt, prophesy, read a lesson, read a sermon, remonstrate, reprimand, sermonize, sermonizing, speak, talk, urge, warn

ROGET THESAURUS

Preach

Rite

VB perform service, do duty, minister, officiate, baptize, dip, sprinkle, anoint, confirm, lay hands on, give the sacrament, administer the sacrament, administer extreme unction, hear confession, administer holy penance, shrive, excommunicate, ban with bell book and candle, attend services, attend mass, go to mass, hear mass, take the sacrament, receive the sacrament, receive communion, attend the sacrament, partake of the sacrament, partake of communion, communicate, receive extreme unction, confess, go to confession, receive penance, anele, preach, sermonize, predicate, lecture.

Teaching

VB teach, instruct, educate, edify, school, tutor, cram, prime, coach, enlighten, inculcate, indoctrinate, inoculate, infuse, instill, infix, ingraft, infiltrate, imbue, impregnate, implant, graft, sow the seeds of, disseminate, given an idea of, put up to, put in the way of, set right, sharpen the wits, enlarge the mind, give new ideas, open the eyes, bring forward, teach the young idea how to shoot, improve, expound, lecture, read a lesson, give a lesson, give a lecture, give a sermon, give a discourse, incept, hold forth, preach, sermonize, moralize, point a moral, train, discipline, bring up, bring up to, form, ground, prepare, qualify, drill, exercise, practice, habituate, familiarize with, nurture, drynurse, breed, rear, take in hand, break, break in, tame, preinstruct, initiate, inure, put to nurse, send to school, direct, guide, direct attention to, impress upon the mind, impress upon the memory, beat into, beat into the head, convince, book, workbook, exercise book, preach to the wise, teach one's grandmother to suck eggs, teach granny to suck eggs, preach to the converted.