1
: one that directs : leader
2
a
: a member of the clergy (as of the Protestant Episcopal Church) in charge of a parish
b
: an incumbent of a Church of England benefice in full possession of its rights
c
: a Roman Catholic priest directing a church with no pastor or one whose pastor has other duties
3
: the head of a university or school
Examples of rector in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Near the end of the service, the rector announced who the pope was — an American-born from Chicago.
—
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
Monsignor Walter Rossi, the rector of the basilica, released a statement mourning Francis’s death.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Apr. 2025
In a recording of a FaceTime call shared by the Vatican in January, the Pope could be seen speaking to Fathers Gabriel Romanelli and Youssef Asaad, the rector and vice rector of the parish.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
My class—led by the church rector, Nigel Massey, a boyish-looking Brit who studied theology at Oxford—was focussed on the subjunctive as used to express uncertainty.
—Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
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Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
Monsignor Walter Rossi, the rector of the basilica, released a statement mourning Francis’s death.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Apr. 2025
In a recording of a FaceTime call shared by the Vatican in January, the Pope could be seen speaking to Fathers Gabriel Romanelli and Youssef Asaad, the rector and vice rector of the parish.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
My class—led by the church rector, Nigel Massey, a boyish-looking Brit who studied theology at Oxford—was focussed on the subjunctive as used to express uncertainty.
—Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rector
Cite this Entry
“Rector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rector. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rector
noun
rec·tor
ˈrek-tər 
1
: a member of the clergy who has charge of a church or parish
2
: the priest in charge of certain Roman Catholic religious houses
3
: the head of a university or school
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