deacon

noun dea·con \ ˈdē-kən \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

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

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Examples of deacon in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of deacon from the Web

Caught in the gunfire was George, a 69-year-old Baptist deacon who tended the block for decades.

— tim prudente, baltimoresun.com, "‘The block took my baby’: Shooting haunts East Baltimore home of retirees, 'block captain'," 27 Apr. 2018
The Pierson family resided in Wethersfield CT where Douglas was a deacon at the First Church of Christ.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Douglas B. Pierson," 14 Apr. 2018
Prospective deacons were required to participate in a three-day program at Notre Dame Seminary as part of a screening process.

— kim chatelain, NOLA.com, "Biting the bullet of faith: Deacon Eddy's story," 1 Apr. 2018
Eileen also served as a deacon at Graystone Presbyterian Church.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 4/20," 20 Apr. 2018
He was later ordained as a permanent deacon who assists at liturgies and presides at baptisms.

— mary schneidau sullivan, Laurel Leader, "A church with staying power," 19 Apr. 2018
On a recent Sunday morning the gray-haired deacon, dressed in a collared shirt and neatly pressed slacks, paced back and forth at the front of the Bethel Worship Center, delivering rapid-fire prayers.

— nina agrawal, latimes.com, "In New York's 'Little Liberia,' immigrants get ready to leave — or go underground," 6 Apr. 2018
First Congregational Church, where Thornton was baptized and his father was a church deacon.

— jim higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Repertory Theater plans an 'Our Town' for our town," 4 Apr. 2018
He tutors children every week through a program at Grace Covenant Church, where Jason Dansby is a deacon.

— cristina bolling, charlotteobserver, "They never expected his gift. Now they must help him make the biggest choice of his young life. | Charlotte Observer," 22 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.

Origin and Etymology of deacon

Middle English dekene, from Old English dēacon, from Late Latin diaconus, from Greek diakonos, literally, servant, from dia- + -konos (akin to enkonein to be active); perhaps akin to Latin conari to attempt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year