A lectern is a piece of furniture with a slanted top, used to hold a book, speech, manuscript, or other documents at the proper height for a reader or speaker. It is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of support. Lecterns may have adjustable height and slant to facilitate eye contact and improve posture when facing an audience. People reading from a lectern, called lectors, generally do so while standing.

In the Christian Church, the lectern is usually the stand on which the Bible rests and from which the "lessons" (scripture passages, often selected from a lectionary) are read during the service. The lessons may be read or chanted by a priest, deacon, minister, or layperson, depending upon the liturgical traditions of the community. The lectern is normally set in front of the pews, so that the reader or speaker faces the congregation. In monastic churches and cathedrals, a separate lectern is commonly set in the center of the choir, which would have carried the antiphonal book, for use by the cantor or precentor leading the singing of the.

It is worth noting that in North America, lecterns are sometimes referred to as podiums, although the two terms are not interchangeable.