pulpit

noun

Definition of pulpitnext
as in altar
a raised flat surface where a priest or minister stands when leading a worship service The pastor ascended the pulpit.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pulpit And Torres, the pastor born in Mexico, often speaks from the pulpit of the Biblical command to care for the stranger, telling his own story to evoke support for immigrants. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026 Candice and Timothy show Brittany how ‘church hurt’ stretches out from the pulpit and into cultural norms around gender, sexuality, acceptance. — Brittany Luse, NPR, 9 June 2026 The church plans to continue upholding core Baptist principles, including congregational autonomy free from a hierarchy, a free pulpit and religious freedom, Hudson said. — Zaire Breedlove, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026 The church’s parklike campus took up an entire block on Fifth Avenue, and its high pulpit was occupied by Harry Emerson Fosdick, a bespectacled liberal Baptist minister. — Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pulpit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulpit
  1. altar
  2. podium
Noun
  • Bells tolled through the misty Alpine mountain valley as hundreds of priests walked two by two to the altar under a tent to start the service and then again at the end.
    — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Near the sacrificial altar, the rest of the imperial family waits.
    — Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026
Definition of altar
Noun
  • At one point during his speech, Russert left the podium to pour a glass of water.
    — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Jorgenson owns a pair of podium finishes at the Tour de France, scoring a second place in 2024 and a third in 2023.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 30 June 2026
Definition of podium

Browse Nearby Words

pulping
pulpit
pulpits
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Cite this Entry

“Pulpit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulpit. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pulpit

Nglish: Translation of pulpit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pulpit

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