• IPA: /pɹiːt͡ʃ/

preach (preaches, present participle preaching; past preached, past participle preached)

1. (intransitive) To give a sermon.

   A learned local Muslim used to preach in the small mosque every Friday.

2. (transitive) To proclaim by public discourse; to utter in a sermon or a formal religious harangue.
   • Bible, Isa. lxi. 1

     The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.

3. (transitive) To advise or recommend earnestly.
   • c. 1594, William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act V, scene i]:

     My master preaches patience to him.

4. (transitive) To teach or instruct by preaching; to inform by preaching.

   • The Spirits of the Dead, / Quitting their mortal mansion, enter not, / As ye are preached, their final seat / Of bliss, or bale.

5. (intransitive) To give advice in an offensive or obtrusive manner.

• practice what one preaches, practise what one preaches
• preach to the choir
• preach to the converted

• French: prêcher
• German: predigen
• Italian: predicare
• Portuguese: pregar
• Russian: пропове́довать
• Spanish: predicar

• French: proclamer, prêcher
• German: predigen, verkündigen
• Italian: predicare
• Russian: пропове́довать
• Spanish: predicar

• German: predigen
• Italian: predicare
• Portuguese: pregar
• Spanish: predicar

preach (plural preaches)

1. (obsolete) A religious discourse.