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

• 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

Carolyn Smith, the late preacher’s daughter, said her father — like Pendleton a Knoxville College graduate — was instrumental in recruiting Pendleton and other Black educators to teach in San Diego. —Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025

Most famously, the late preacher and radio host Harold Camping predicted doomsday again and again. —C. A. Bridges, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Most famously, the late preacher and radio host Harold Camping repeatedly predicted the end of the world. —Jordan Green, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025

Martinez hosted a sermon series with seven different preachers to talk to the congregation about what generosity meant to them, and the fundraiser was included in church announcements and weekly newsletter updates. —Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

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