missionary

1 of 2

noun

mis·​sion·​ary ˈmi-shə-ˌner-ē 

plural missionaries

: a person undertaking a mission and especially a religious mission

Several years ago, when I was working as a reporter based in Haiti, I came upon a group of older Christian missionaries in the mountains above Port-au-Prince … They were there to build a school alongside a Methodist church.

—Jacob Kushner

Hawaiian Pidgin English developed during the 1800s and early 1900s, when immigrant laborers from China, Portugal, and the Philippines arrived to work in the plantations; American missionaries also came around that time.

—Alia Wong

missionary

2 of 2

adjective

1

: relating to, engaged in, or devoted to missions

2

: characteristic of a missionary

Did you know?

Beginning around 1540, an order of Catholic priests known as the Jesuits began to send its members to many parts of the world to convert peoples who believed in other gods to Christianity. Wherever they went, the Catholic missionaries built central buildings for their religious work, and the buildings themselves became known as missions; many 17th-century missions in the American West and Southwest are now preserved as museums. Their foes, the Protestants, soon began sending out their own missionaries, and today Protestant missionaries are probably far more numerous.

Examples of missionary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The gangs currently control more than 80% of the capital and are responsible for the recent deaths of two young American missionaries. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 June 2024

American missionaries killed by gang in Haiti American missionaries killed by gang in Haiti 02:11 FILE - Haiti's then Prime Minister Garry Conille speaks during a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Oct. 6, 2011. —CBS News, 1 June 2024

Adjective

Advertisement Two of the victims were a young married missionary couple, Davy and Natalie Lloyd, according to a Facebook posting from Natalie’s father, Missouri Republican state Rep. Ben Baker. —DÁnica Coto and Evens Sanon, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024

The virus has already contributed to a new spate of Islamophobia after a gathering by a Muslim missionary group spurred a number of new cases. —Anubhav Gupta, Foreign Affairs, 4 May 2020

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1623, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing missionary

• missionary position
• missionary zeal

Kids Definition

missionary

1 of 2 adjective

mis·​sion·​ary ˈmish-ə-ˌner-ē 

1

: relating to, engaged in, or devoted to missions

2

: characteristic of a missionary : zealous

missionary

2 of 2 noun

plural missionaries

: one sent to spread a religious faith among unbelievers or to engage in charitable work with religious support