1
: a clergyman in charge of a chapel
2
: a clergyman officially attached to a branch of the military, to an institution, or to a family or court
3
: a person chosen to conduct religious exercises (as at a meeting of a club or society)
4
: a clergyman appointed to assist a bishop (as at a liturgical function)
Examples of chaplain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The two men befriended Yee, a Muslim convert who served as the Muslim chaplain on base.
—
Tamara Audi, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Many chaplains have seminary or ministry training in and the endorsement of a particular faith.
—Hannah Fingerhut, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
Three citizens, including a pastor, spoke against school chaplains.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Our chaplains provide regular religious services and counseling, and our facility provides nursing care in our own apartment for conditions that do not require being in the nursing facility, as well as caring hospice services when that is needed.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024
Members of the Comets team were starting their regular pregame prayer led by team chaplain Pastor Steve.
—Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2024
Joanne Ostrow became an Episcopal deacon and served as police chaplain for the Los Angeles Police Department.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024
Even the chaplains responded to provide spiritual guidance and help the survivors process the trauma of the explosion.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2024
Those thematic films survey contemporary spirituality across traditions, looking at forgiveness in the Amish, Buddhist, Jewish, and Muslim faiths or interviewing chaplains of all kinds who work in prisons, meat-processing plants, and war zones.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023
Tamara Audi, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Many chaplains have seminary or ministry training in and the endorsement of a particular faith.
—Hannah Fingerhut, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
Three citizens, including a pastor, spoke against school chaplains.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Our chaplains provide regular religious services and counseling, and our facility provides nursing care in our own apartment for conditions that do not require being in the nursing facility, as well as caring hospice services when that is needed.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024
Members of the Comets team were starting their regular pregame prayer led by team chaplain Pastor Steve.
—Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2024
Joanne Ostrow became an Episcopal deacon and served as police chaplain for the Los Angeles Police Department.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024
Even the chaplains responded to provide spiritual guidance and help the survivors process the trauma of the explosion.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2024
Those thematic films survey contemporary spirituality across traditions, looking at forgiveness in the Amish, Buddhist, Jewish, and Muslim faiths or interviewing chaplains of all kinds who work in prisons, meat-processing plants, and war zones.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chaplain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near chaplain
Cite this Entry
“Chaplain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaplain. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chaplain
noun
chap·lain
ˈchap-lən 
1
: a member of the clergy officially attached to a special group (as the army)
2
: a person chosen to conduct religious exercises (as for a club)
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