preacher

noun

preach·​er ˈprē-chər 

plural preachers

: one who preaches: such as

a

: a person who delivers a sermon publicly

a street preacher

b

: one whose function is to preach sermons : pastor, minister

She waited patiently on a Sunday morning until the crowd had said good-by to the preacher.

—Don Jeffries

"What kind of preacher are you? What denomination?" "I was ordained in a Baptist church, but I'm sort of nondenominational now."

—John Grisham

c

: one who inculcates or exhorts something earnestly or officiously

… he was an ardent preacher of gentlemanly ethics …

—Paul Schullery

… he was perceived by the larger world, not inaccurately, as a preacher of the hatred.

—Nicholas Lemann

Synonyms of preacher

• priest
• clergyman
• pastor
• minister
• reverend

Examples of preacher in a Sentence

the marriage will be performed by our usual preacher

Recent Examples on the Web

She was born into slavery in the North and later won her freedom, becoming an acclaimed speaker, preacher and activist. —Jocelyn Frye, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026

According to the Daily Mail report, the preacher and Key exchanged a series of text messages in the spring of 2026 that his wife eventually read. —Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 18 June 2026

Even after the revolution, prominent Sudanese preacher Abdulhay Yousif said the establishment of a women’s football league was aimed at undermining religion. —ABC News, 17 June 2026

Over time, some preachers sought to systematize these tactics for winning converts. —Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing preacher

• preacher curl

Rhymes for preacher

• bleacher
• creature
• feature
• reacher
• teacher
• schoolteacher

Kids Definition

preacher

noun

preach·​er

ˈprē-chər

: one that preaches

especially : minister entry 1 sense 1b