Exhort

verb (transitive)

/ɪɡˈzɔːt/

To strongly urge, encourage, or earnestly appeal to someone to do something, especially through an authoritative or moral appeal rather than through legal compulsion; to advise urgently and earnestly. In Indian constitutional and parliamentary discourse, the Directive Principles of State Policy (Articles 36–51) function as constitutional exhortations — they direct the State towards policy goals without conferring justiciable rights. Constitutional Assembly debates record B.R. Ambedkar exhorting future generations to treat the Constitution as a living instrument, not a static text.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud's valedictory remarks in December 2024 exhorted the legal fraternity and civil society to treat access to justice not merely as a procedural right but as the substantive foundation of constitutional democracy, a value requiring constant institutional renewal.

Synonyms

urgeimploreentreatadmonishpressenjoin

Antonyms

dissuadediscouragedeterrestrainprohibit

🌱 Word Family

exhortation (noun), exhortatory (adj), exhortative (adj), exhorter (noun), hortatory (adj, related)

🔡 Root

Latin ex- = thoroughly, out; hortari = to urge, encourage (hortus — not related; root is horiri = to urge)

📜 Etymology

From Latin exhortari 'to exhort, urge strongly, encourage', composed of ex- (intensive prefix, 'thoroughly') + hortari 'to urge, encourage, exhort', a frequentative form related to horiri 'to urge'. The noun form exhortatio gave English 'exhortation'. First attested in English in the early 15th century, often in religious contexts of sermons and pastoral exhortation, later widened to political and civic usage.

🧠 Memory Hook

EX-HORT: EX (out) + HORTARI (to urge) — to urge something OUT of someone, to press them to act. Think of a sports coach on the sideline shouting and EXHORTING players to give their best — passionately URGING action forward. The 'h' in hortari echoes HOUTing encouragement.

🏛️ Governance 📖 Seen in: Good Governance — Metrics, Indices & G...

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