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
As a longtime faculty member and a former dean of the Journalism School, you were asked to lead the university’s investigation into anti-Semitism on campus at an extremely fraught moment.
—
Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Bay Window One former exec who still speaks regularly with Iger says Bay’s future as dean of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism will help determine how much of an actual retirement phase Iger enters.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
In development for nearly 20 years, the most recent title from Adult Swim’s dean of action animation, Genndy Tartakovsky, had just one season and ten episodes to distinguish itself.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Still, spring and summer demand is likely to remain strong even if prices rise, said Alan Fyall, an associate dean of the University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dean
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Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Bay Window One former exec who still speaks regularly with Iger says Bay’s future as dean of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism will help determine how much of an actual retirement phase Iger enters.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
In development for nearly 20 years, the most recent title from Adult Swim’s dean of action animation, Genndy Tartakovsky, had just one season and ten episodes to distinguish itself.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Still, spring and summer demand is likely to remain strong even if prices rise, said Alan Fyall, an associate dean of the University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dean
Cite this Entry
“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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
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