lesson Hear it!

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lesson definition

les·son (lesən)

noun

  1. something to be learned; specif.,
    1. an exercise or assignment that a student is to prepare or learn within a given time; unit of instruction
    2. the instruction given during one class or instruction period
    3. something that needs to be learned (or the event through which it is learned) for the sake of one's safety, well-being, etc.
    4. course of instruction music lessons
  2. a selection, as of Scripture, forming part of a religious service; lection
  3. a rebuke; reproof

Etymology: ME lessoun < OFr leçon < L lectio, a reading, hence text, lesson < pp. of legere, to read: see logic

transitive verb

  1. to give a lesson to
  2. to rebuke; reprove

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
lesson Synonyms

lesson

n.

  1. An instructive assignment

    recitation, drill, reading; see exercise 2.

  2. Instruction

    teaching, tutoring, schooling; see education 1.

  3. Anything instructive

    helpful word, good example, noble action; see model 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

lesson Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • learn: Have we not learned a lesson from the railways?

Adjective modifier

  • valuable: Many believe there are valuable lessons to be learned from my own case which I describe on my website ( address below ).

Modifies a noun

  • plan: Writing activity for Year 7 Macbeth Discussion Do these sample lesson plans reflect your approach to lesson planning?

Noun used with modifier

  • swimming: We have lessons suitable for babies, all the way up to adult swimming lessons.
lesson usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

lesson quotes

Your experience will be a lesson to all of us men to be careful not to marry ladies in very high positions.

-Amin (Dada), Idi

He has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.

-Emerson, RalphWaldo

God knows that the lesson we learn from life is that our very existence in the nature of things is a perpetual harming of somebody elseöif only because every mouthful of food that we eat is a mouthful taken from somebody else.

-Ford, Ford Madox originally Ford Hermann Hueffer

lesson quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"lesson." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/lesson>

APA Style

lesson. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/lesson

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