as in priests
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church
my cousin was married by his uncle, who is also a deacon in his church
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 deacons
Two thousand people are expected to attend, including numerous religious figures such as bishops, priests and deacons.
—
Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Early Christians cited menstruation as the reason for not allowing female deacons or priests.
—Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026
Powell’s lawyers also introduced documentation that Lorch, who began coaching the Hawks in 1961, served on Riverside’s board of deacons and board of trustees, as well as several church committees, and that the Hawks’ basketball success was touted multiple times in Riverside’s official newsletter.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Last December, they were ordained to be transitional deacons by Cardinal Robert McElroy, who was then head of the San Diego diocese and is both a controversial and consequential figure in the Catholic church.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
As eight priests, two deacons and the Milwaukee archbishop celebrated Mass at the altar, Grunwaldt skirted the back, quietly keeping the operation running.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Early Christians cited menstruation as the reason for not allowing female deacons or priests.
—Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026
Powell’s lawyers also introduced documentation that Lorch, who began coaching the Hawks in 1961, served on Riverside’s board of deacons and board of trustees, as well as several church committees, and that the Hawks’ basketball success was touted multiple times in Riverside’s official newsletter.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Last December, they were ordained to be transitional deacons by Cardinal Robert McElroy, who was then head of the San Diego diocese and is both a controversial and consequential figure in the Catholic church.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
As eight priests, two deacons and the Milwaukee archbishop celebrated Mass at the altar, Grunwaldt skirted the back, quietly keeping the operation running.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deacons
Noun
-
Ultimately, the pharaoh’s prescient spiritual optimism comes in conflict with the all-powerful establishment priests, who kill Akhnaten and Nefertiti.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The report then stressed the need for the diocese to abandon the practice of requiring victims to take polygraph tests and to stop refusing to investigate third-party complaints about priests.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His large band, squeezed onto a stage scarcely longer than two kayaks laid end to end, is composed almost entirely of Haitian preachers’ kids raised in the country’s gospel tradition.—
Emma Madden,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
-
In exchange for the preachers' supplying troops to stage boycotts, the businessmen would give the churches money.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deacons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deacons. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
