lesson
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.an experience that teaches you how to behave or what to do in the future.
n.a principle or piece of wisdom acquired through experience, often involving a mistake or a hardship.
Simple“Losing his job was a hard lesson, but it taught him to save money.”
In context“The financial crisis served as a painful lesson for investors who had ignored the risks of the housing market bubble.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an experience that acts as a warning to you or others.
n.an occurrence that serves as a deterrent or a corrective example to others.
Simple“The judge gave the thief a long sentence to teach him a lesson.”
In context“The heavy fine was intended to teach the corporation a lesson about violating environmental safety regulations.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a passage from the Bible or another holy book read during a church service.
n.a portion of Scripture or other religious text appointed to be read at a divine service.
Simple“The young man stood up to read the first lesson during the morning service.”
In context“The vicar selected a lesson from the Old Testament that mirrored the themes of the upcoming festival.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to teach someone or to tell them off for doing something wrong.
v.to instruct or to rebuke someone. This usage is rare in modern speech.
Simple“The old master would lesson his students for hours on the importance of patience.”
In context“He sought to lesson the boy in the ways of the court, though his efforts were met with stubborn resistance.”
lesson vs lecture — A lecture is a formal presentation delivered to an audience, while a lesson is a structured period of interactive instruction.
Usage important lesson
From Middle English lessoun, from Old French leçon, from Latin lēctiō, lēctiōnem (“a reading”), from legō (“to read; to gather”). Doublet of lection.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.