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

Videos posted on social media show street preachers speaking with multiple police officers outside the event. — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026

During a rare weekend at home, Godwin wrote the song — an allusion to his grandfather, Charles Godwin, a Methodist preacher — after putting the kids to bed one night. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026

Continue reading … CONSTITUTIONAL LAW — Viral run-in between police and street preacher draws federal First Amendment heat. — FOXNews.com, 16 July 2026

Instead, there are countless influencers, preachers, and personalities who have created niche movements with their own theologies and political alignments. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 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