lecture

lec·ture

Use lecture in a sentence

A man gives a lecture at a business conference.

noun

The definition of a lecture is a talk given on a particular subject or a scolding given after someone does something wrong.
1. An example of a lecture is a talk on natural sciences.
2. An example of a lecture is a parent's talk about being honest to a child after the child has lied.

verb

To lecture is defined as to deliver a speech or to talk to someone about why he or she was wrong.
1. An example of lecture is for a priest to deliver a sermon.
2. An example of lecture is for a parent to tell his child why stealing is wrong.

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MLA Style

"lecture." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lecture>.

APA Style

lecture. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lecture

lecture

1. an informative talk given as before an audience or class and usually prepared beforehand
2. the text of such a talk
a lengthy rebuke or scolding

Origin of lecture

ME, act of reading from Medieval Latin lectura from past participle of Classical Latin legere, to read: see logic

intransitive verb

-·tured, -·tur·ing

to give a lecture or lectures

to give a lecture to

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Link to this page

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MLA Style

"lecture." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lecture>.

APA Style

lecture. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lecture

lecture

noun

An exposition of a given subject delivered before an audience or class, as for the purpose of instruction.
An earnest admonition or reproof; a reprimand.

verb

lec·tured, lec·tur·ing, lec·tures

verb

intransitive

To deliver a lecture or series of lectures.

verb

transitive

To deliver a lecture to (a class or audience).
To admonish or reprove earnestly, often at length: always lecturing me about my manners.

Origin of lecture

Middle English a reading from Old French from Medieval Latin lēctūra from Latin lēctus past participle of legere to read ; see leg- in Indo-European roots.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"lecture." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lecture>.

APA Style

lecture. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lecture

Noun

(plural lectures)

A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 1, The Celebrity:
  The stories did not seem to me to touch life. [...] They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.
During class today the professor delivered an interesting lecture.
A berating or scolding.
I really don't want you to give me a lecture about my bad eating habits.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present lectures, present participle lecturing, simple past and past participle lectured)

(intransitive) To teach (somebody) by giving a speech on a given topic.
The professor lectured to two classes this morning.
To preach, to berate, to scold.
Emily's father lectured her about the importance of being home before midnight.

Related terms

Origin

From Medieval Latin lectura (“reading"), from Latin lectus, past participle of legÅ (“I read, I recite").

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.