Exhortation
[EKS-or-tay-shən]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 15th century
1.
An address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.
Examples of Exhortation in a sentence
"A stern exhortation to 'drop it!' usually gets my dog's attention."
"When the exhortation was paired with three short claps, the kids knew that was the signal recess was over."
About Exhortation
In Latin, the prefix "ex-" means "thoroughly," and "hortari" means "to encourage." So as a verb, "to exhort" means "to quite thoroughly encourage someone to do something." That command turns into the noun "exhortation." Disobey at your own risk.
Did you Know?
Exhortation is sometimes confused with "extortion," but besides having an extra syllable, "exhortation" is much more pleasant. With an exhortation there's a plea, a request, or an encouragement. You want to help someone who is giving you an exhortation — there's no bribery involved.
