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
Jahneel Small, chief of staff and special organizing projects for Educators for Excellence, worked as a teacher and dean of students for 17 years.
—
Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Prior to becoming interim principal, Misicka was Larkin’s assistant principal of culture and climate for six years and freshman dean of students for two years.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Meredith Woo, former dean of arts and sciences at the University of Virginia and former president of Sweet Briar College, is on the faculty at Arizona State University.
—David Ignatius, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2026
In response, Cecil Howard, the associate provost and interim dean of the law school, on Monday issued a message to students, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, that said the word was not restricted and that the university’s leadership had not issued the directive.
—Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dean
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Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Prior to becoming interim principal, Misicka was Larkin’s assistant principal of culture and climate for six years and freshman dean of students for two years.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Meredith Woo, former dean of arts and sciences at the University of Virginia and former president of Sweet Briar College, is on the faculty at Arizona State University.
—David Ignatius, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2026
In response, Cecil Howard, the associate provost and interim dean of the law school, on Monday issued a message to students, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, that said the word was not restricted and that the university’s leadership had not issued the directive.
—Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Feb. 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 19 Feb. 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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