What does "pulpit" mean?
A raised platform in a church, sometimes enclosed, where the minister or preacher stands when giving the sermon; also, the lectern on such a platform.
Pulpit
/ˈpʊlpɪt/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A raised platform in a church, sometimes enclosed, where the minister or preacher stands when giving the sermon; also, the lectern on such a platform.
- Grammar: pulpit is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: dais, rostrum, ambo, ambo.
- Useful contrasts: floor, ground, insignificance.
- Usage evidence: Tom and Mary once jumped together from Pulpit Rock with a parachute. It was a short but magical experience.
How to use "pulpit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pulpit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pulpit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pulpit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pulpit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pulpit" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dais" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pulpit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A raised platform in a church, sometimes enclosed, where the minister or preacher stands when giving the sermon; also, the lectern on such a platform. countable
"Always, whether in the pulpit or on the platform, as in private conversation, there is an absolute simplicity about the man and his words; a simplicity, an earnestness, a complete honesty."
- 2 a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it wordnet
- 3 Activity associated with or usually performed from a church pulpit; preaching, sermons, religious teaching. metonymically, uncountable
- 4 The preaching profession, office, or role in general; the pastorate, the priesthood, the ministry. metonymically, uncountable
- 5 Preachers collectively; clergy; the priesthood. metonymically, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 An individual or particular preaching position or role; a pastorate. countable, metonymically
"He seems like too timid a man to fill the pulpit at such a large church."
- 7 Bully pulpit. broadly
- 8 Any lectern, podium, dais, or platform for an orator or public speaker. countable
- 9 The railing at the bow of a boat, which sometimes extends past the deck; also called bow pulpit. The railing at the stern is sometimes called the stern pulpit or the pushpit. countable
- 10 A bow platform for harpooning. countable
"[Hooper:] Will you just please go to the end of the pulpit! [Brody:] What for? [Hooper:] I need to have something in the foreground to give it some scale. [Brody:] Foreground, my ass!"
- 11 A plane's cockpit. UK, dated, slang
"In the slang of the Royal Air Force man, the cockpit of his plane is the ‘pulpit’ or ‘office’, the glass covering over it the ‘greenhouse’."
Antonyms
Example
"Tom and Mary once jumped together from Pulpit Rock with a parachute. It was a short but magical experience."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pulpit"?
Common synonyms include: dais, rostrum, ambo, ambo, apostleship, balcony.
How do you use "pulpit" in a sentence?
Tom and Mary once jumped together from Pulpit Rock with a parachute. It was a short but magical experience.
How do you pronounce "pulpit"?
Pronounced /ˈpʊlpɪt/.
Etymology
From Middle English pulpit, from Old French pulpite and Latin pulpitum (“platform”). Doublet of pulpitum.