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

Soon, the vast stadium was packed — not with rugby fans or concertgoers, but with thousands who came to pray with an African preacher. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

The hunting buddies thank God and good friends that McCoy, a Baptist preacher, survived the attack at all. — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026

Cue an increasingly fraught war of words — and, eventually and inevitably, other very American weapons — in the congregation, with even the good preacher tiring of turning the other cheek. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026

People of faith often embraced his work, and preachers sometimes cited it in sermons. — Courier Journal Staff, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 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