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

The librarian, in turn, accused the preacher of book theft. — Literary Hub, 25 June 2026

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

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

Son of a Preacherman, Choi's latest work, is an autobiographical look at the writer's upbringing in a family of preachers. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 23 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