exhortation

E1X8H4O1R1T1A1T1I1O1N1
/ˌɛɡzɔːˈteɪʃən//ˌɛksɔːˈteɪʃən/

noun

The act or practice of exhorting.

Opposite

Meanings

nounexhortation (countable and uncountable, plural exhortations)

plural exhortations

  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

Synonyms & antonyms

nounLanguage intended to give advice or to urge or encourage.

Similar
Opposite
Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe act of exhorting; an earnest attempt at persuasion

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  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.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian увещание, съвет
  • увещание (uveštanie)Act or practice of exhorting
  • съвет (săvet)Incite and encourage
Chinese Mandarin 勸告 /劝告, 規勸 /规劝
  • 勸告 /劝告 (quàngào)Act or practice of exhorting
  • 規勸 /规劝 (guīquàn)Act or practice of exhorting
  • 激勵 /激励 (jīlì)Incite and encourage
Dutch aanmoediging, aanmoediging
  • aanmoedigingAct or practice of exhorting
  • aanmoedigingIncite and encourage
Esperanto admono
  • admonoAct or practice of exhorting
French exhortation
  • exhortationAct or practice of exhorting
Greek παραίνεση
  • παραίνεση (paraínesi)Act or practice of exhorting
Hungarian buzdítás, serkentés
  • buzdításAct or practice of exhorting
  • serkentésAct or practice of exhorting
  • buzdításIncite and encourage
  • serkentésIncite and encourage
Latin exhortātiō, exhortātiō
  • exhortātiōAct or practice of exhorting
  • exhortātiōIncite and encourage
Polish napomnienie, upomnienie
  • napomnienieAct or practice of exhorting
  • upomnienieAct or practice of exhorting
  • nawoływanieIncite and encourage
  • wzywanieIncite and encourage
Portuguese exortação, exortação
  • exortaçãoAct or practice of exhorting
  • exortaçãoIncite and encourage
Spanish exhortación
  • exhortaciónAct or practice of exhorting
Swedish erinran, uppmaning
  • erinranAct or practice of exhorting
  • uppmaningAct or practice of exhorting
  • förmaningAct or practice of exhorting
Turkish tembih, uyarı
  • tembihAct or practice of exhorting
  • uyarıAct or practice of exhorting
  • tavsiyeIncite and encourage
  • teşvikIncite and encourage

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with exhortation

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

exhortation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exhortation

MLA

“exhortation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exhortation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exhortation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exhortation.

Source: exhortation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.