1
a
: the head of the chapter of a collegiate or cathedral church
b
: a Roman Catholic priest who supervises one district of a diocese
2
a
: the head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university
b
: a college or secondary school administrator in charge of counseling and disciplining students
3
dean
intransitive verb
Examples of dean in a Sentence
She's the dean of the university's business school.
the dean of liberal arts
Recent Examples on the Web
And the Orange County School Board allayed the fears of Craig and finance dean Ralph Richard when junior college financing battles were raging in Tallahassee by committing itself to a share of VJC’s budget.
—
Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
One of that Courier’s founders won acclaim from his peers for his tenure as dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school.
—Colin Lecher, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Most recently, Kowal served as assistant dean for Institutional Advancement at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Colleges have lived large on student loans, paying the salaries of bloated administrative staff and big-bucks deans and coaches.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dean
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Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
One of that Courier’s founders won acclaim from his peers for his tenure as dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school.
—Colin Lecher, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Most recently, Kowal served as assistant dean for Institutional Advancement at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Colleges have lived large on student loans, paying the salaries of bloated administrative staff and big-bucks deans and coaches.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dean
Cite this Entry
“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dean
noun1
: the head of the chapter of a cathedral church
2
a
: the head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university
b
: a college or secondary school administrator in charge of counseling or disciplining students
3
: the senior member of a group
the dean of the diplomatic corps
Biographical Definition
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