lecture

lecture — noun

1. a talk, given by a teacher or expert, that explains a serious subject in detail

1.nounB1
Definition

a talk, given by a teacher or expert, that explains a serious subject in detail to an audience

Example

Professor Kemi gave an interesting lecture on the history of Japanese architecture.

give + lecture + on + topic

Over three hundred students attended the lecture about climate change held in the main hall.

Common collocations
  • give a lecture
  • deliver a lecture
  • attend a lecture
  • lecture on
  • lecture about
  • lecture hall
  • lecture notes
  • lecture series
Synonyms
  • talk

    more general; a lecture is a type of talk, but 'talk' can be informal or brief

  • presentation

    often shorter and may include visual aids; less tied to academic settings

  • address

    more formal, often given to a large audience on a special occasion

2. a lengthy talk in which someone tells a person that their actions were wrong, us

2.nounB2
Definition

a lengthy talk in which someone tells a person that their actions were wrong, usually because the speaker is angry

Example

After breaking the window, the boys got a stern lecture from their coach.

get + a + [adjective] + lecture + from + person

Yuna's mother gave her a long lecture about coming home after midnight.

Common collocations
  • give someone a lecture
  • get a lecture
  • a long lecture
  • a lecture about
  • a lecture on
Synonyms
  • reprimand

    more formal; a lecture is often longer and less formal than a reprimand

  • telling-off

    more informal and usually shorter; 'lecture' implies it goes on for a while

  • scolding

    suggests a shorter, often more emotional outburst

Usage Note

This noun sense usually appears in the structure 'give someone a lecture' or 'get a lecture'. The lecture is about or on the behaviour being criticized.

Common Mistakes

The teacher gave a lecture on biology to the misbehaving student.
The teacher gave a lecture on biology to the whole class' (confusing the formal talk sense with the reprimand sense).
Use 'lecture on + academic topic' for the formal talk sense; use 'lecture about + behaviour' for the reprimand sense.

lecture — verb

Word family

  • lecturer
    nounB1
  • lectureship
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lecture, talk, presentation, address, and speech all refer to spoken communication before an audience, but they differ in setting and formality. A lecture is typically academic — a teacher or expert explains a subject in depth to students or professionals. A talk is broader: it can be informal (a brief talk at a community meeting) or formal (a TED talk). A presentation often involves visual aids like slides and is common in business settings. An address is usually formal and ceremonial, given on a special occasion (e.g., the president's inaugural address). A speech can be any formal or informal spoken message delivered to an audience. For example: 'Professor Kemi gave a lecture on Baroque art,' but 'Andrés gave a short talk about his volunteer work' and 'the CEO delivered a presentation on quarterly earnings.'

talk ↗presentation ↗address ↗speech ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • give a lecture
  • attend a lecture
  • deliver a lecture
  • a series of lectures

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Lecture entered English in the 14th century from Latin 'lectura', meaning 'a reading', which came from 'legere' (to read). Originally it referred to the practice of reading a text aloud to an audience. Over time, the word shifted from the literal act of reading to any formal instructional talk, and later developed the secondary sense of a lengthy scolding.