as in elders
the senior member of a group
the dean of the Aspen ski instructors oversaw the training of the rescue team
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Recent Examples of deans
Lloyd was born in Berkeley and raised in Lafayette by his parents, Lester Lloyd, one of the deans of the San Francisco printing industry, and Mildred Lloyd, a librarian at Stanley Middle School.
—
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
But if the online tool cannot be turned back on safely, school officials will work with deans, department heads, and instructors regarding alternate ways to end the semester, sharing more information before noon Sunday.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Possibly this was the case at élite law schools in the nineteen-nineties, where even the most obdurate deans could not afford to ignore their militant students indefinitely.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Many move around the country, going from deans to vice presidents, and on to president, and by that time they are conditioned to stay within the traditional behaviors of corporate expectations, where regularity is valued, and disruption is thought to create corporate liability.
—Matthew G. Andersson, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Pageants, deans' lists, graduations or military enlistments are not accepted.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
In addition, the research deans from various colleges here at MSU discuss these issues regularly with each other and other university officials to strategize how to navigate these difficult times, sharing information among people with different roles.
—Nara Parameswaran, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
These are the terms favored in higher ed, terms that make assessment possible, terms that accreditors and deans like.
—Peter Wayne Moe, Longreads, 26 Mar. 2026
Juan Baez, president of the Administrators and Supervisors Council and principal of the Milwaukee School of Languages, said deans and assistant principals are often the first to respond to safety concerns and conflicts.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
But if the online tool cannot be turned back on safely, school officials will work with deans, department heads, and instructors regarding alternate ways to end the semester, sharing more information before noon Sunday.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Possibly this was the case at élite law schools in the nineteen-nineties, where even the most obdurate deans could not afford to ignore their militant students indefinitely.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Many move around the country, going from deans to vice presidents, and on to president, and by that time they are conditioned to stay within the traditional behaviors of corporate expectations, where regularity is valued, and disruption is thought to create corporate liability.
—Matthew G. Andersson, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Pageants, deans' lists, graduations or military enlistments are not accepted.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
In addition, the research deans from various colleges here at MSU discuss these issues regularly with each other and other university officials to strategize how to navigate these difficult times, sharing information among people with different roles.
—Nara Parameswaran, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
These are the terms favored in higher ed, terms that make assessment possible, terms that accreditors and deans like.
—Peter Wayne Moe, Longreads, 26 Mar. 2026
Juan Baez, president of the Administrators and Supervisors Council and principal of the Milwaukee School of Languages, said deans and assistant principals are often the first to respond to safety concerns and conflicts.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deans
Noun
-
The workforce’s youngest cohort has been labeled lazy, entitled, and unrelentingly pessimistic by their elders.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill, with billions of dollars at stake.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
And the veterans were lauded for their service by grateful citizens, whether in France, in Germany, or at home.—
Kevin Maurer,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
In May, Hegseth awarded Purple Hearts to nine veterans at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, who were wounded in a 2003 attack at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait.—
Steve Beynon,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Gradually, Nawal skirts the limits of her job and begins her own investigation, entering spaces and conversations her male superiors either can’t, or might not think to.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
8 June 2026
-
With the North Koreans and the Chinese military bearing down on Incheon in 1951, Casillas was ordered by his superiors to destroy all vital structures in Incheon to keep the infrastructure from falling into enemy hands.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deans. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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