reverend

adjective

rev·​er·​end ˈrev-rənd 

ˈre-və-;

ˈre-vərnd

1

: worthy of reverence : revered

2

a

: of or relating to the clergy

b

: being a member of the clergy

—used as a title

the Reverend Mr. Doe

the Reverend John Doe

the Reverend Mrs. Jane Doe

Synonyms of reverend

• venerable
• revered
• venerated
• respectable

Examples of reverend in a Sentence

our reverend elders should be accorded a special place of honor at the ceremonies

Recent Examples on the Web

Kristen Harper, a reverend and senior minister at Barnstable Unitarian Church, has spoken about the Reverse Freedom Riders during several sermons of the past. —Rachael Devaney, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2022

No one was a better fit for the job to officiate Richie and Madden's 2010 wedding than the Run DMC frontman, who is a reverend IRL. —Grace Gavilanes, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2022

There before the reverend mother and God, the police (wielding rifles) and the butchers (wielding a cow trailer) managed to corral two of the steers. —Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2022

Dickens was a great admirer of a reverend philosopher of that name, often carrying around a copy of Smith's Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin reverendus, gerundive of reverērī "to stand in awe of, revere entry 1"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

reverend

1 of 2 adjective

rev·​er·​end ˈrev-(ə-)rənd 

ˈrev-ərnd

1

: worthy of reverence : revered

these reverend halls

2

—used as a title for a member of the clergy

the Reverend Ms. Doe

the Reverend John Doe

the Reverend Mother Superior

reverend

2 of 2 noun

: a member of the clergy