v.
- deliver a religious address to an assembled group of people.
▸publicly proclaim (a religious message).
- earnestly advocate (a principle):
my parents always preached tolerance.
▸
(preach at)
give moral advice to (someone) in a self-righteous way.
Derivative
- preacher n.
- preachiness n.
- preachy adj.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. prechier, from L. praedicare ‘proclaim’, in eccles. L. ‘preach’.