French word

prêcher

Pronunciation

IPA/pʁeʃe/

Meaning

  • verbpreach

Example

Elle prêche toujours la tolérance.

She always preaches tolerance.

Illustration for prêcher (preach)

More examples

Après l'incident, elle prêche la paix plutôt que la colère.

After the incident, she preaches peace rather than anger.

Core concept

A speaker publicly urging others to adopt a moral, religious, or social position.

Common phrases

  • prêcher contre la violence

    preach against violence

  • prêcher la réforme

    advocate reform

Similar words

convaincre: To convince someone by presenting reasons or evidence.
conseiller: To give advice based on experience or knowledge.
encourager: To encourage someone to take action through support and motivation.
persuader: To persuade someone to change an opinion or course of action.

Definition in French

Dire, souvent sur un ton moral ou religieux, qu'une personne doit adopter une idée ou un comportement.

Word origin

French prêcher comes through Old French from Latin praedicare, meaning "to proclaim publicly," which also underlies English "preach."

Usage tips

  • In French, prêcher is not limited to religion: prêcher la tolérance means to advocate tolerance strongly.

Other meanings

  • advocateverb

Opposites

  • dissuaderdiscourageverb
  • se tairekeep quietverb

Related words

  • prêchesermonnoun

Word lists with this word