lent

1 of 2

past tense and past participle of lend

Lent

2 of 2

noun

: the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by the Roman Catholic, Eastern, and some Protestant churches as a period of penitence and fasting

Examples of lent in a Sentence

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Noun
It was initially conceived as a time of fasting and penitence, not unlike Lent, during which observant Christians prepared themselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024 The Chosen: Last Supper (as Season 5 is titled) will, as Season 4 did, first land in theaters — during Lent beginning Thursday, March 27, and spanning four weeks of screenings. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 26 Nov. 2024 The annual liturgical calendar reminds us of the cycle of seasons— Advent, Christmas, Easter, Lent, and Ordinary time. Judy Knotts, Austin American-Statesman, 26 Nov. 2024 Olivia Heller/The Hustle Aviv Nevo, an economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has studied a similar phenomenon: the decline of tuna prices during Lent, when the fish is in high demand. Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 15 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lent 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English lente springtime, Lent, from Old English lencten; akin to Old High German lenzin spring

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lent was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near lent

Cite this Entry

“Lent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lent. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

Lent

noun
: a period of fasting and regret for one's sins that is observed on the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter by many churches
Lenten
ˈlent-ᵊn
adjective

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