Ash Wednesday

noun

: the first day of Lent

Examples of Ash Wednesday in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Francis, 86, could be heard coughing repeatedly during Ash Wednesday services earlier this month. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2024 The church held a rosary at the end of its Ash Wednesday services to honor Madison, Melia and Lisa Lopez-Galvan, their mother’s cousin and a member of the church who died in the shooting. Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024 In Rome, Christian leaders incorporated the tradition as a way to prelude Lent, when people would often fast between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the 40-day season is centered around prayer, fasting, almsgiving and reconciliation, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Holy Thursday. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 21 Feb. 2024 Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, is a period of preparation for Easter Sunday, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2024 The game, which has very few rules, is played over two 8-hour periods on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024 Outside Gesù Church in downtown Miami, sirens blared and horns honked in their usual weekday fashion but inside, hundreds of Catholics practiced the solemn ritual of Ash Wednesday. Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024 The church held a rosary at the end of its Ash Wednesday services and another Thursday morning. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ash Wednesday was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near Ash Wednesday

Cite this Entry

“Ash Wednesday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ash%20Wednesday. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Ash Wednesday

noun
: the first day of Lent

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