preacher

noun

preach·​er ˈprē-chər How to pronounce preacher (audio)
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

Examples of preacher in a Sentence

the marriage will be performed by our usual preacher
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The preacher's son said his father has been in the ICU and never regained consciousness. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 18 June 2025 These were often portraits of people at work—jockeys, preachers, movie stars—that showcase the indiscriminate pleasure Crews took in shoptalk. Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025 Fight Night became a way to explore the soul of that shift — through hustlers and preachers, cops and kingpins, veterans and dreamers. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 18 June 2025 The 90-year-old televangelist and preacher went into cardiac arrest at his Baton Rouge, La. home Sunday morning, June 15, WWLTV reported. Angel Saunders, People.com, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for preacher

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preacher was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preacher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preacher. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

preacher

noun
preach·​er
ˈprē-chər
: one that preaches

More from Merriam-Webster on preacher

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!