1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a preacher or preaching; having the manner or style of a sermon
Usage: often used descriptively or critically to describe speech, writing, or tone that is moralistic, didactic, or overly earnest

Examples

• His preacherly tone made the audience uncomfortable during what was supposed to be a casual discussion.
• The novel's preacherly passages about virtue felt heavy-handed to many readers.
• She adopted a preacherly manner when lecturing her children about responsibility.
• The politician's preacherly rhetoric about morality rang hollow to critics.
• His preacherly delivery, complete with dramatic pauses, reminded everyone of a Sunday sermon.