Lenten

adjective

Lent·​en ˈlen-tᵊn How to pronounce Lenten (audio)
: of, relating to, or suitable for Lent
especially : meager
Lenten fare

Examples of Lenten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe, so did the pre-Lenten festivities. — Emanuella Grinberg, CNN, 20 Feb. 2023 The traditional doughnut-like pre-Lenten treats are made of yeast dough, deep-fried and filled with fruit fillings. — Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2023 Prine, in an interview with AL.com on Monday, vowed that Mardi Gras will be safe and that a large police presence will be in downtown Mobile that serves as the epicenter for the more than two-week pre-Lenten festivity that includes parades and formal balls. — John Sharp | [email protected], al, 10 Jan. 2023 And there's no better indulgence than the beloved pre-Lenten paczki treat. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2022 See All Example Sentences for Lenten

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Lenten was before the 12th century

Rhymes for Lenten

See All Rhymes for Lenten

Browse Nearby Words

Lent corn
Lenten
Lenten lily
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lenten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Lenten. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All