deacon

noun

dea·​con ˈdē-kən 

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

Synonyms

• clergyperson
• cleric
• clerical
• clerk
• divine
• dominie
• ecclesiastic
• minister
• preacher
• priest
• reverend

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 family are frequent visitors of Beargrass Christian Church, where both Beshear and his wife serve as deacons. —Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 22 July 2024

The lawsuit in Prince George’s alleges a group of men were abused as children by priests, deacons or others employed by Washington diocese, which covers five Maryland counties and is headquartered in Hyattsville. —Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 6 Mar. 2024

The deacon named in the complaint died in 2010 at age 66. —Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 13 Aug. 2024

Germany identified the congregant who tackled the suspect as Clarence McCallister, a 63-year-old deacon who has attended the church for the past nine years. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024

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

Phrases Containing deacon

• deacon's bench

Kids Definition

deacon

noun

dea·​con ˈdē-kən 

1

: a member of the Christian clergy next below a priest

2

: a church member in various Christian churches who has special duties