archdeacon

noun

arch·dea·con (ˌ)ärch-ˈdē-kən

: a clergyman having the duty of assisting a diocesan bishop in ceremonial functions or administrative work

Examples of archdeacon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web When Flynn died, new owners brought in an archdeacon for an onboard exorcism. —

Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 Keith Cartwright, archdeacon of the Diocese of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, officiated. —

New York Times, 6 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'archdeacon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English archedeken, from Old English arcediacon, from Late Latin archidiaconus, from Late Greek archidiakonos, from Greek archi- + diakonos deacon

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of archdeacon was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century