chaplain

noun chap·lain \ ˈcha-plən \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of chaplain

1 : a clergyman in charge of a chapel

2 : a clergyman officially attached to a branch of the military, to an institution, or to a family or court

3 : a person chosen to conduct religious exercises (as at a meeting of a club or society)

4 : a clergyman appointed to assist a bishop (as at a liturgical function)

—

chaplaincy

play \-sē\ noun

See chaplain defined for English-language learners

See chaplain defined for kids

Recent Examples of chaplain from the Web

King’s visit to Naperville came at the invitation of George St. Angelo, an alumnus who served as North Central’s chaplain.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "King planted seeds for change at North Central College during Naperville visit, former student/board trustee recalls," 4 Apr. 2018
The Sister arrives The biggest ovation of the evening before tipoff at the Alamodome on Saturday night came when Loyola team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt arrived for her seat across from the Ramblers bench.

— nick baumgardner, Detroit Free Press, "Final Four: Michigan's Abdur-Rahkman sets record; Steve Fisher at game," 31 Mar. 2018
Michigan freshman Jordan Poole went looking for Loyola-Chicago’s team chaplain Sister Jean after the Wolverines ended the Ramblers’ magical Cinderella run in the Final Four.

— alysha tsuji, For The Win, "Michigan’s Jordan Poole made sure to shake Sister Jean’s hand after Loyola’s loss," 31 Mar. 2018
Not at the station but at the house of Temple’s chaplain.

— chris ballard, SI.com, "'These Tragedies Have to Stop.' Inside the Kings' Decision to Stand Up for Stephon Clark," 29 Mar. 2018
Loyola's run to the Final Four has been almost as improbable as the star turn of the team's incandescent chaplain.

— dean reynolds, CBS News, "Sister Jean Schmidt: God is on Loyola-Chicago's side, at least "right now"," 26 Mar. 2018
She's served as the team’s chaplain since the early 1990s.

— zoe szathmary, Fox News, "Sister Jean says there must be 'limitations' to spend time with Charles Barkley," 25 Mar. 2018
Loyola has become a national darling with its improbable run in the tournament, cheered on by 98-year-old team chaplain Sister Jean.

— paul newberry, chicagotribune.com, "Gritty Kansas State delivers another upset, 61-58 over Kentucky, to set up Elite 8 matchup vs. Loyola," 23 Mar. 2018
Celebrating the win was Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt, the 98-year-old nun who serves as the team chaplain for Loyola.

— zach schonbrun, victor mather and benjamin hoffman, New York Times, "What Happened in the NCAA Tournament First Round," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chaplain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of chaplain

Middle English chapelein, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin cappellanus, from cappella

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

CHAPLAIN Defined for English Language Learners

chaplain

noun

Definition of chaplain for English Language Learners

: a priest or other Christian religious leader who performs religious services for a military group (such as the army) or for a prison, hospital, etc.

CHAPLAIN Defined for Kids

chaplain

noun chap·lain \ ˈcha-plən \

Definition of chaplain for Students

: a member of the clergy who performs religious services for a special group (as the army)

Learn More about chaplain

See words that rhyme with chaplain Spanish Central: Translation of chaplain Nglish: Translation of chaplain for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of chaplain for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chaplain

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chaplain

Definition of chaplain

chaplaincy

Recent Examples of chaplain from the Web

Origin and Etymology of chaplain

Other Christian Religious Terms

CHAPLAIN Defined for English Language Learners

chaplain

Definition of chaplain for English Language Learners

CHAPLAIN Defined for Kids

chaplain

Definition of chaplain for Students

Learn More about chaplain

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chaplain

Definition of chaplain

chaplaincy

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Origin and Etymology of chaplain

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Definition of chaplain for English Language Learners

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chaplain

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