exhortation

What it means

1. countableuncountableThe act or practice of exhorting.

   All gladly drew round the table, and Mrs. Palmer's exhortation of “Poor dears, do enjoy yourselves,” was fulfilled, even to her own satisfaction.

   1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 47

   2 more examples

   His exhortations to his assistants to waste no time in getting on with the job, and to be tactful and courteous with those outside the railway service with whom they had to deal, are as apposite today as they were a century ago.

   1958 August 28, “More Light on Brunel”, in Railway Magazine, page 516

   Earlier on the Other stage on Friday afternoon, Charli XCX took a more straightforward, rabble-rousing approach, a flurry of confetti cannon, inflatables and exhortations to wild hedonism: “I hope everyone gets really fucked up this weekend!”

   2017 June 2, Alexis Petridis, “Glastonbury 2017 verdict: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Lorde, Stormzy and more”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 07 Apr 2023

2. countableuncountableLanguage intended to give advice or to urge or encourage.

   Come good Lorenzo, faryewell a while, Ile end my exhortation after dinner.

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 164, column 1

   1 more example

   And ye haue forgotten the exhortation which speaketh vnto you as vnto children, My sonne, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 12:5

   Synonyms: counsel · Antonyms: admonition

In a sentence

All gladly drew round the table, and Mrs. Palmer's exhortation of “Poor dears, do enjoy yourselves,” was fulfilled, even to her own satisfaction.

1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 47

Where it comes from

1. Latinexhortātiōnem
2. Old Frenchexhortacion
3. Middle Englishexhortacioun
4. Englishexhortation

From Middle English exhortacioun, from Old French exhortacion, from Latin exhortātiōnem, accusative singular of exhortātiō (“encouraging; exhortation”), from exhortor (“to encourage, exhort”), from ex (“out of, from”) + hortor (“encourage”). By surface analysis, exhort + -ation.