1
: a passage from sacred writings read in a service of worship
2
a
: a piece of instruction
b
: a reading or exercise to be studied by a pupil
c
: a division of a course of instruction
3
a
: something learned by study or experience
his years of travel had taught him valuable lessons
b
: an instructive example
the lessons of history
c
lessoned; lessoning
ˈle-sə-niŋ 
ˈles-niŋ
Synonyms
Examples of lesson in a Sentence
Noun
You can't go out to play until you've finished your lessons.
The book is divided into 12 lessons.
She took piano lessons for years.
political leaders who have failed to learn the lessons of history
I've learned my lesson—I'll never do that again!
Let that be a lesson to you—if you don't take better care of your toys they'll get broken!
Verb
would tirelessly lesson the children in proper manners
Recent Examples on the Web
Liza Foreman, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Sommeliers in the Yarra Valley wineries and cellar doors gave me the best lessons in figuring out my wine palate.
—Mitti Hicks, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (HarperOne: $23) A modern fable explores life’s universal lessons.
…
Paperback fiction
1.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
There would be interest in Häkkinen’s P1 even if driving lessons from the former race car driver weren’t included.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
And who better to give us a lesson in experience than the titans of the music industry?
—Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
Mega contracts also aren’t a strength of the Hornets, who should’ve learned their lesson after finally getting the books in order and eliminating some of the sting of doling out big bucks to Nic Batum, Cody Zeller and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist among others.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024
In Michigan, many clerks and election officers bring to the 2024 cycle their own lessons from their work in 2020.
—Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
From lessons in Venetian-style rowing to seasonal seafood plates, and crowd-free bookstores, there's much on offer.
—Maddalena Fossati, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2024
Alissa Simon, Variety, 11 Sep. 2023
Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson — who was director of the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department until the end of February — announced Thursday that Milwaukee's new order will lesson restrictions at museums, sporting events, bars and restaurants.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2021
Wray did not explain how the FBI deduced a connection between Chinese efforts to lesson the effects of sanctions and any potential planning for an invasion of Taiwan.
—Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 6 July 2022
Democrats are battling among themselves over how, and whether, to lesson some of these curbs.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2022
Oregon tried to lesson the load on Verdell the past few springs, with last year’s practices cut short before full contact any way.
—oregonlive, 30 Mar. 2021
Regents were deciding whether to drop four men’s sports -- indoor and outdoor track, gymnastics and tennis -- as part of the athletic department’s attempt to lesson the financial blow caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
—oregonlive, 10 Oct. 2020
The Pac-12′s daily, rapid-response testing will lesson the risk of those kind of outbreaks within a team.
—oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2020
In theory, the Pac-12′s greater resources and capability for frequent and rapid testing should lesson the risk.
—oregonlive, 10 Sep. 2020
Noun
The 80-year-old Douglas noted that given the current state of American politics, and worldwide democracy, Franklin is more than just a history lesson.
—Liza Foreman, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Sommeliers in the Yarra Valley wineries and cellar doors gave me the best lessons in figuring out my wine palate.
—Mitti Hicks, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (HarperOne: $23) A modern fable explores life’s universal lessons.
…
Paperback fiction
1.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
There would be interest in Häkkinen’s P1 even if driving lessons from the former race car driver weren’t included.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
And who better to give us a lesson in experience than the titans of the music industry?
—Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
Mega contracts also aren’t a strength of the Hornets, who should’ve learned their lesson after finally getting the books in order and eliminating some of the sting of doling out big bucks to Nic Batum, Cody Zeller and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist among others.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2024
In Michigan, many clerks and election officers bring to the 2024 cycle their own lessons from their work in 2020.
—Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
From lessons in Venetian-style rowing to seasonal seafood plates, and crowd-free bookstores, there's much on offer.
—Maddalena Fossati, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2024
Verb
Nearing 80-years-old and urged by his wife Grete (Lena Olin) to reduce some of his store of papers, Winton, who never told his family about his role in saving so many refugees, wonders what lessons the scrapbook documenting his work might offer to a wider public.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 11 Sep. 2023
Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson — who was director of the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department until the end of February — announced Thursday that Milwaukee's new order will lesson restrictions at museums, sporting events, bars and restaurants.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2021
Wray did not explain how the FBI deduced a connection between Chinese efforts to lesson the effects of sanctions and any potential planning for an invasion of Taiwan.
—Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 6 July 2022
Democrats are battling among themselves over how, and whether, to lesson some of these curbs.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2022
Oregon tried to lesson the load on Verdell the past few springs, with last year’s practices cut short before full contact any way.
—oregonlive, 30 Mar. 2021
Regents were deciding whether to drop four men’s sports -- indoor and outdoor track, gymnastics and tennis -- as part of the athletic department’s attempt to lesson the financial blow caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
—oregonlive, 10 Oct. 2020
The Pac-12′s daily, rapid-response testing will lesson the risk of those kind of outbreaks within a team.
—oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2020
In theory, the Pac-12′s greater resources and capability for frequent and rapid testing should lesson the risk.
—oregonlive, 10 Sep. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lesson.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lesson
Cite this Entry
“Lesson.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesson. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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