deacon

noun

dea·​con ˈdē-kən How to pronounce deacon (audio)
plural deacons
: 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 laity 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In addition to his leadership and donations to Vanderbilt, Wills' other philanthropic ventures included serving as president of the YMCA of Metropolitan Nashville, president of the Tennessee Historical Society and a deacon and elder at The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville. Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 The church may very well have served as a hiding place in the Underground Railroad, given that March Haynes, a deacon of the church, was a known member of the network. Brienne Walsh, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 Equality for women Like his predecessor, Leo opposes the idea of ordaining female deacons. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 May 2025 But, also like Pope Francis, the Illinois native opposes ordaining women as deacons, for instance, so on that point he's seen as conservative on church doctrine. Chris Livesay, CBS News, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for deacon

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deacon was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deacon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deacon. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

deacon

noun
dea·​con ˈdē-kən How to pronounce deacon (audio)
1
: a member of the Christian clergy next below a priest
2
: a church member in various Christian churches who has special duties

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