exhortation
/ˌɛɡzɔːrˈteɪʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
exhortari — to encourage strongly
Overview
Meaning Now
- An address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.
- The act or process of exhorting.
Literal older meaning
an urging out or thorough urging
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
exhortacioun
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word entered English during a period of heavy influence from French legal and religious vocabulary, often appearing in sermons and didactic texts where the speaker provides a moral call to action.
Evolution
- Latin
exhortari
“to encourage, to urge”
ex- (thoroughly) + hortari (to urge/encourage)
- Old French
exhortacion
“act of urging”
- Middle English
exhortacioun
“strong urging or warning”
borrowed from Old French
- Early Modern English
exhortation
“formal urging”
standardized spelling
Connections
Word parts
ex-
prefix
out, thoroughly
hort-
root
urge, encourage
-ation
suffix
noun-forming suffix indicating an act or state
Related across languages
French
urging, encouragement
Spanish
exhortación
exhortation
Explore next
Related to exhortation
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.