English Reference

Word

amen

Phoneticsamen

US/ɑˈmɛn/

UK/ˌɑːmˈɛn/

Definitions

01at the end of a prayer

B1 · Religion

interj. a word you say at the end of a prayer or religious service to mean 'I agree' or 'let it be so'.

interj. a liturgical formula used at the conclusion of a prayer or hymn to signal solemn ratification.

“The congregation said amen after the priest finished the final blessing.”

“The service concluded with a collective amen that echoed through the cathedral's vaulted ceiling.”

Synonyms

so be it

03the act of saying the word

C1

n. the act of saying the word 'amen'.

n. an instance of uttering the word 'amen' as an expression of agreement or religious devotion.

“A loud amen came from the back of the room.”

“The speaker paused, waiting for a chorus of amens from the audience before continuing his passionate speech.”

Formal

Synonyms

04to express agreement

C2

v. to say 'amen' to something or to show you support it.

v. to utter 'amen' in response to a statement; by extension, to ratify or support a proposal solemnly.

“The committee members were quick to amen the new proposal.”

“He was willing to amen any policy that promised to increase the company's quarterly dividends.”

Literary · Formal

Etymology

Multiple origins, including a respelling of German Ammann or a variant of Amin from Arabic أَمِين (ʔamīn).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference