preach to the choir

[ preech tuh thuh kwahyuhr ]

idiom

1. to express an observation or viewpoint to those who already share the same observation or viewpoint:

   If you’re saying that juggling a career and parenthood is tough, you’re preaching to the choir—I’m a single working mom with two preschoolers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of preach to the choir¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

“There’s no point of having some kind of a revolutionary purism that you should only preach to the choir. That would be completely pointless,” Malm said.

From Los Angeles Times

In Shenker-Osorio's vision of persuasion, you did indeed preach to the choir, so the choir would in turn conquer the hearts of the much broader audience in the seats — the moderates.

From Salon

And so we’re really looking at this 20- to 45-year-old range of people who, yes, there are the Black people… You preach to the choir, so that you can get that refrain.

From Slate

How can your film, which exposes these facts, work to change minds, rather than just preach to the choir?

From Salon

They all preach to the choir while the people who need to be reached remain outside the church of the Enlightenment.

From New York Times