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

Among the residential buildings were the home of a deacon named Tisous and another that researchers think may have originally been a house church before the construction of the basilica. — Anne Doran For Artnews, Robb Report, 7 July 2026

Among the residential buildings were the home of a deacon named Tisous and another that researchers think may have originally been a house church before the construction of the basilica. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 6 July 2026

Among them were the house of Tisous, identified as a church deacon and dating to the second half of the fourth century, which archaeologists believe served as a house church before the construction of the city’s basilica. — ABC News, 4 July 2026

Eddie, a mechanic, was also a deacon at the church, an usher and a member of the choir, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 2 July 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