CHAPLAIN Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

chaplain

noun

Definition of chaplain

as in pastor

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of chaplain Joanna Whaley, a hospital chaplain who won the Democratic primary on Tuesday for a Michigan state House seat, could become the first transgender person elected to the state’s legislature. — Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2026 Christine Davies, director of spiritual care at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, has been a hospital chaplain for more than 25 years. — Angela Haupt, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 The boy’s name is Steven Mychal, after Conor’s father and Mychal Judge, the chaplain of the New York Fire Department. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 31 July 2026 The company also offers profit sharing and employs a corporate chaplain—benefits Smith said reflect his belief that a business should improve employees’ lives both inside and outside the workplace. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for chaplain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaplain

Noun

Jones represents Deacon Charles McClendon and the faction of the church that filed a lawsuit last week seeking the widow's removal as interim pastor.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
Jacobita Cortes, a United Methodist pastor in Chicago, said that fear has changed the rhythms of her community.

— Maria Santana, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of pastor

Noun

Asher has an omnipresent AI assistant who serves as a kind of fixer/scheduler/confessor.

— John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
On April 18, King Frederik and Queen Mary's youngest children were confirmed by the royal confessor, Bishop Henrik Wigh-Poulsen, in Fredensborg Castle Church.

— Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026

Definition of confessor

Noun

Pernkopf was a Nazi functionary who became dean of the medical faculty in 1938 and rector of the university in 1943.

— Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
The Rectory As the name suggests, The Rectory was originally home to the rector of nearby All Saints’ Church and his 14 children.

— Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026

Definition of rector

Noun

The couple were married by a female vicar, per the Daily Mail.

— Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Nearly every murder is solved by the end of the episode, but despite the unusual twist of having the village vicar team up with the police, the real action comes from the relationships among the characters.

— Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026

Definition of vicar

Noun

This one stars Cox himself as a mysterious and formidable old man in an undertaker’s suit and parson’s hat who wanders into an Arizona border town in 1890 to gather the names of dead Mexican laborers.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
And what does the old man who sleeps by the fire know about the dead parson?

— Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026

Definition of parson

Noun

The New York Times, which first reported Rideout's release, said the 50-year-old had worked as a missionary in Niger for 19 years and was a pilot for SIM International.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Kevin Rideout, an American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger last October, has been released and will be reunited with his extended family, his organization said in a statement on Friday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of missionary

Noun

Man of books and learning Several of the videos show Athanasius of Alexandria, a fourth-century bishop and theologian traditionally considered one of the church fathers.

— Denva Gallant, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Juan José Gerardi Conedera (born December 27, 1922, Guatemala City, Guatemala—killed April 26, 1998, Guatemala City) was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and human rights activist.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026

Definition of bishop

Noun

In 1976, the residence was redesigned as a retirement home for church missioners.

— George Avalos, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
Kelley Hudlow, missioner for clergy formation for the diocese, told NBC affiliate WVTM of Birmingham soon after the shooting that church leaders were trying to learn more.

— Phil Helsel, NBC News, 17 June 2022

Definition of missioner

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chaplain

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“Chaplain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaplain. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of chaplain

noun

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