1
: a choir leader : precentor
2
: a synagogue official who sings or chants liturgical music and leads the congregation in prayer
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The cantor is, after the rabbi, the most important figure in a Jewish worship service. A cantor not only must possess an excellent singing voice but also must know by heart long passages of Hebrew. Cantors such as Jan Peerce and Richard Tucker became international opera stars. The comedian and singer Edward Israel Iskowitz renamed himself Eddie Cantor for his original profession and became enormously popular on stage, screen, radio, and television for over 40 years.
Examples of cantor in a Sentence
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Sheri Allen, cantor and co-founder of Makom Shelanu synagogue in Fort Worth, called the law another attempt to dismantle the wall between church and state.
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Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026
Hamra wanders through the open spaces of the synagogue, stepping up onto an elevated marble platform where cantors have stood over the centuries.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 3 Feb. 2026
Born in Chicago and raised in Philadelphia, Leberman moved to Israel at 20 and served for three years in the IDF’s undercover counterterrorism unit, often as its cantor.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Laurence Harris, a longtime member and wife of the temple’s cantor, Ruth, who together with her saved multiple Torahs from burning last year, said that the community has grown in the year since.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026
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Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026
Hamra wanders through the open spaces of the synagogue, stepping up onto an elevated marble platform where cantors have stood over the centuries.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 3 Feb. 2026
Born in Chicago and raised in Philadelphia, Leberman moved to Israel at 20 and served for three years in the IDF’s undercover counterterrorism unit, often as its cantor.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Laurence Harris, a longtime member and wife of the temple’s cantor, Ruth, who together with her saved multiple Torahs from burning last year, said that the community has grown in the year since.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cantor
Cite this Entry
“Cantor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cantor. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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