1
a
: the head of the chapter of a collegiate or cathedral church
b
: a Roman Catholic priest who supervises one district of a diocese
2
a
: the head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university
b
: a college or secondary school administrator in charge of counseling and disciplining students
3
dean
intransitive verb
Examples of dean in a Sentence
She's the dean of the university's business school.
the dean of liberal arts
Recent Examples on the Web
He’s been a ubiquitous character actor ever since, from the scene-stealing game show host in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream (2000) to the college dean in The House Bunny (2008).
—
Skyler Trepel, EW.com, 25 July 2025
Nance is also exploring volunteer opportunities with Legal Aid of Arkansas after her appointment as dean ends.
—Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 21 July 2025
Committee members noted Krishnamoorthi, who had also been in Washington, was able to attend the slating session as did the dean of Illinois’ U.S. House delegation, Rep. Danny Davis, 83, who wasn’t even seeking an endorsement.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2025
For the people not directly affected by the flood but struggling themselves, that is natural and human, too, said the Very Rev. Sarah Hurlbert, dean of the Cathedral of All Souls, an Episcopal church in Asheville, North Carolina.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
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.
Skyler Trepel, EW.com, 25 July 2025
Nance is also exploring volunteer opportunities with Legal Aid of Arkansas after her appointment as dean ends.
—Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 21 July 2025
Committee members noted Krishnamoorthi, who had also been in Washington, was able to attend the slating session as did the dean of Illinois’ U.S. House delegation, Rep. Danny Davis, 83, who wasn’t even seeking an endorsement.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2025
For the people not directly affected by the flood but struggling themselves, that is natural and human, too, said the Very Rev. Sarah Hurlbert, dean of the Cathedral of All Souls, an Episcopal church in Asheville, North Carolina.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
Cite this Entry
“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dean
noun1
: the head of the chapter of a cathedral church
2
a
: the head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university
b
: a college or secondary school administrator in charge of counseling or disciplining students
3
: the senior member of a group
the dean of the diplomatic corps
Biographical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share