lection
Rare / TechnicalFormal, Ecclesiastical, Literary
Definition
Meaning
A reading or passage from a sacred text, especially one prescribed for a particular day in a church service.
More generally, any selected portion of text to be read, studied, or performed aloud.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a liturgical or text-critical term. In biblical scholarship, it can refer to a specific variant reading in a manuscript.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage; the word is equally rare and specialised in both varieties.
Connotations
Strongly associated with formal church liturgy and academic textual analysis. Has an archaic or learned flavour.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general use. Found almost exclusively in theological, liturgical, or philological contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The lection [from + SOURCE]The lection [for + OCCASION]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “N/A”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in theology, liturgical studies, and textual criticism (e.g., 'The manuscript contains an unusual lection at this point.').
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Core term in liturgy (e.g., 'The lection for Easter Sunday is taken from John.') and philology.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The lectionary (adj.) system is complex.
- He studies lection variations.
American English
- The lectionary (adj.) cycle spans three years.
- Lection manuscripts were compared.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- N/A for this level due to word rarity.
- The priest read the lection from the Bible.
- What is the lection for today's service?
- The morning service includes a lection from the Old Testament.
- Scholars debated the origin of the variant lection found in the ancient codex.
- The reform of the lectionary aimed to provide a more comprehensive selection of scriptural lections over the liturgical year.
- Textual critics must determine whether a particular lection represents the original reading or a later scribal interpolation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'LECTION' sounds like 'LECTIONary' – the book of scheduled readings for church.
Conceptual Metaphor
A TEXT IS A MEASURED PORTION (to be consumed/used at a specific time).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'лекцией' (lecture). 'Lection' — это отрывок для чтения, а не устное выступление.
- Может ошибочно переводиться как 'выбор' (от election), но значение связано именно с текстом.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with 'lection' as a misspelling of 'lection' meaning 'a public reading' (historical).
- Using it as a general synonym for 'lecture'.
- Misspelling as 'lection'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'lection' MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In a very specific liturgical context, yes, a 'lection' can be called a 'lesson'. However, 'lesson' is far more general (e.g., a piano lesson, a life lesson), while 'lection' is strictly a textual/scriptural reading.
It would be highly unusual and stylistically marked. The word is strongly tied to sacred or formal ceremonial texts. 'Excerpt', 'passage', or 'extract' would be the natural choices.
They are closely related. A 'pericope' is a distinct, self-contained unit of scripture (like a parable or miracle story). A 'lection' is that unit *as it is appointed to be read* in a liturgical setting. All lections are pericopes, but not all pericopes are designated as lections.
Its meaning is highly specialised, falling within the domains of church ritual and academic text study. In everyday language, more common words like 'reading' or 'passage' have completely covered its semantic ground.