deacon

noun

ˈdē-kən How to pronounce deacon (audio)
Definition of deaconnext
as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church my cousin was married by his uncle, who is also a deacon in his church

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deacon This summer, archaeologists uncovered a 1,700-year-old Byzantine city in Egypt, complete with a church and a deacon's home. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Church deacons want it to be called Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, its previous name. — Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026 The Archdiocese of Baltimore released a statement confirming that Goedeke served as a Catholic Church deacon and former Catholic school teacher. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 Among the residential buildings were the home of a deacon named Tisous and another that researchers think may have originally been a house church before the construction of the basilica. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for deacon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deacon
  1. priest
  2. preacher
  3. bishop
  4. clergyman
  5. pastor
Noun
  • For a second day Leo celebrated Mass with other priests in a special chapel set up near his room on the 10th floor of the hospital, spokesman Matteo Bruni said.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • According to the attorneys, the priests targeted more than 100 young Black children at Holy Angels parish between 1969 and 2002.
    — CBS Chicago Team, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of priest
Noun
  • And yet another member, Cody Smith, said his grandfather was preacher of the church for more than 40 years.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This brings to mind a song from yesteryear about the preacher and the bear.
    — Alfred H. Moses, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of preacher
Noun
  • On April 18, 1049, the pope exempted a nunnery in Alsace – now in Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine, France – from the legal authority and supervision of the local bishop.
    — Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Warren Jeffs then appointed Nephi Jeffs, another brother, as bishop.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of bishop
Noun
  • When Yakovlev mentioned the clergyman who attended the death-bed, Adelaide expressed surprise that John had asked to see a pastor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The seeds are then planted in California, where Eddie Anderson, a clergyman, political organizer and the founder of Freedom Farms Collective, helps oversee their growth.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of clergyman
Noun
  • Marshall is tied with Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton, while the other four trail to varying degrees.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Money, money, money Bob Beatty, the political science chair and professor at the University of Washburn, attributed the pastor's strong communication and fundraising skills to his experience leading the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pastor

Browse Nearby Words

dazzlingly
deacon
deaconess
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Cite this Entry

“Deacon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deacon. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deacon

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