deacon

noun

dea·con | \ ˈdē-kən

Definition of deacon

: a subordinate officer in a Christian church: such as

a : a Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Orthodox cleric ranking next below a priest

b : one of the laymen elected by a church with congregational polity to serve in worship, in pastoral care, and on administrative committees

c : a Mormon in the lowest grade of the Aaronic priesthood

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about deacon

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of deacon in a Sentence

my cousin was married by his uncle, who is also a deacon in his church

Recent Examples on the Web

The list of 21 priests and one permanent deacon includes the Rev. Anthony Schuerger, the longtime pastor of Cleveland’s St. Malachi Parish who was placed on administrative leave on Friday. — Cory Shaffer, cleveland.com, "Catholic Diocese of Cleveland identifies 22 more clerics previously accused of sexual abuse," 21 June 2019 Others have failed by not responding morally, pastorally and effectively to allegations of abuse or misconduct perpetrated by other bishops, priests and deacons. — Ted Slowik, Daily Southtown, "Slowik: A Joliet bishop engaged in sexual misconduct. The diocese still displays his picture in the cathedral.," 13 June 2019 Prosecutors are expected to call dozens of witnesses, including a former deacon, parents and former military members who knew Perrault in the early 1990s. — Mary Hudetz, The Seattle Times, "Fugitive priest accused of abusing boy faces trial," 30 Mar. 2019 Unsurprisingly, Pope Francis, who once said that Mary is more important than the Apostles, bishops, deacons and priests, has a thing or two to say about maternity leave for women. — Ashley E. Mcguire, Washington Post, "How conservatives are poised to actually make paid family leave a reality," 13 May 2018 Francis has appointed a study commission on ordaining women deacons. — Nicole Winfield, BostonGlobe.com, "Over five years, pope produces major shift in church culture," 12 Mar. 2018 Each diocese disclosed its own list of priests and deacons, all of whom are either dead or no longer serve the church. — Joseph De Avila, WSJ, "New Jersey Catholic Dioceses Release Names of Priests Accused of Sexual Assault," 13 Feb. 2019 The man, later identified as Marcus Wayne Chenault Jr. of Ohio, fired his gun, hitting Alberta King, church deacon Edward Boykin and congregation member Jimmie Mitchell. — Leada Gore, AL.com, "6 years after MLK assassination, his mother was gunned down, too," 4 Apr. 2018 Roland was a member of Church of God- Lighthouse Family Worship Center in New Britain, was the oldest living member of the church and served as church deacon. — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Roland J. LaReau Sr.," 4 Mar. 2018

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