deacon

noun

dea·​con ˈdē-kən 

plural deacons

: a subordinate officer in a Christian church: such as

a

: a Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Orthodox cleric ranking next below a priest

b

: one of the laity elected by a church with congregational polity to serve in worship, in pastoral care, and on administrative committees

c

: a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the lowest grade of the Aaronic priesthood

Synonyms of deacon

• priest
• preacher
• bishop
• clergyman
• pastor

Examples of deacon in a Sentence

my cousin was married by his uncle, who is also a deacon in his church

Recent Examples on the Web

Turner was a church deacon and small business owner who was arrested in Collierville. —Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 27 Mar. 2026

In addition, Jos Valke, deacon of the church, said a letter reporting D’Artagnan’s death stated that he had been laid to rest in consecrated ground. —Jack Guy, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026

In ninth grade, a deacon at his family’s church in Columbus—a Tuskegee Airman himself—took the family out to an airfield. —Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026

Two thousand people are expected to attend, including numerous religious figures such as bishops, priests and deacons. —Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dekene, from Old English dēacon, from Late Latin diaconus, from Greek diakonos, literally, servant, from dia- + -konos (akin to enkonein to be active); perhaps akin to Latin conari to attempt

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deacon

• deacon's bench

Rhymes for deacon

• beacon
• weaken
• archdeacon
• mohican

Kids Definition

deacon

noun

dea·​con ˈdē-kən 

1

: a member of the Christian clergy next below a priest

2

: a church member in various Christian churches who has special duties