preacher

noun

preach·​er ˈprē-chər 

plural preachers

: one who preaches: such as

a

: a person who delivers a sermon publicly

a street preacher

b

: one whose function is to preach sermons : pastor, minister

She waited patiently on a Sunday morning until the crowd had said good-by to the preacher.

—Don Jeffries

"What kind of preacher are you? What denomination?" "I was ordained in a Baptist church, but I'm sort of nondenominational now."

—John Grisham

c

: one who inculcates or exhorts something earnestly or officiously

… he was an ardent preacher of gentlemanly ethics …

—Paul Schullery

… he was perceived by the larger world, not inaccurately, as a preacher of the hatred.

—Nicholas Lemann

Synonyms of preacher

• priest
• clergyman
• pastor
• minister
• reverend

Examples of preacher in a Sentence

the marriage will be performed by our usual preacher

Recent Examples on the Web

The performances had the energy and verve of a Pentecostal revival, with James playing the role of charismatic preacher. —Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026

Pfeiffer is sensational, her Shyanne is a tough survivor and former Hooters server who’s preparing to wed a kind and rather bland preacher (Greg Kinnear). —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026

Better to stay clean and inconspicuous, like hotel artwork, which was fine for a preacher’s son. —Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026

The Sight & Sound production in honor of America’s 250th anniversary ths year explores the friendship between firebrand preacher George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin, and how Franklin’s resulting recognition of the role of faith changed history. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing preacher

• preacher curl

Rhymes for preacher

• bleacher
• creature
• feature
• reacher
• teacher
• schoolteacher

Kids Definition

preacher

noun

preach·​er

ˈprē-chər

: one that preaches

especially : minister entry 1 sense 1b