prayer definition

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English preiere, from Old French preiere, from Early Medieval Latin precāria, derived from Latin precem. Displaced native Old English ġebed.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹɛə(ɹ)/
• (US) enPR: prâr, prāʹər, IPA^(key): /pɹɛɚ/, /ˈpɹeɪəɹ/, /ˈpɹɛɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ), -eɪə(ɹ), -ɛɹ

Noun

prayer (countable and uncountable, plural prayers)

1. (uncountable) A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity.

   Through prayer I ask for God's guidance.

   In many cultures, prayer involves singing.

2. (countable) An act of praying.
   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […] , down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.

   • 2020 December, Dave Barry, Year in review:

     In that spirit, we’ll close with the wish we always offer at the end of our annual review, although this time it’s more of a prayer: Happy new year.

3. The specific words or methods used for praying.

   Christians recite the Lord's Prayer.

   For Baha'is there's a difference between obligatory and devotional prayer.

4. A meeting held for the express purpose of praying.

   Grandpa never misses a chance to go to prayer.

5. (countable) A request; a petition.

   This, your honor, is my prayer; that all here be set free.

6. (in the singular, mostly in negative constructions) The remotest hope or chance.

   That team doesn't have a prayer of winning the championship.

Synonyms

• orison, precation
• bead (archaic)

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

pray +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹeɪə(ɹ)/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: prāʹər, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹeɪəɹ/
• Rhymes: -eɪə(ɹ)

Noun

prayer (plural prayers)

1. One who prays.
   • 1974, Shel Silverstein, “Invitation”, in Where the Sidewalk Ends, Harper Collins Publishers:

     If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar / A hope-er^[sic], a pray-er^[sic], a magic bean buyer…

   • 2012, Paul O'Connor, Islam in Hong Kong: Muslims and Everyday Life in China's World City:

     Out of the 37 respondents, seven are infrequent prayers who prefer to leave the precise details of their prayer life ambiguous.

Translations