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

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Something about the liturgical season of Lent seems effortful. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 22 Mar. 2024 Easter is a day of celebration, and with Lent over, Christians can eat meat. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2024 The Lent season is coming to a close, which means Easter is just a skip and a hop away. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Mar. 2024 Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after a 40-day period known as Lent. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024 Mother's Day in Britain is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which varies from year to year. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024 During Lent, practicing Christians usually abstain from eating meat on Fridays, AFP reports. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 The exception is Lent when there is carryout each week. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 Fish tacos are a go-to for me, especially during Lent when all those Friday fish sandwiches leave me longing for viable alternatives. The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on lent

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!