as in missioners
a person who is sent especially to a foreign country to do religious work (such as converting people to the religion or ministering to the sick)
The missionaries sent to the island were ultimately unsuccessful in converting the native residents.
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Recent Examples of missionaries
The missionaries helped build important institutions – schools, colleges, hospitals and medical schools – in Persia, many of which still exist.
—
Daniel Thomas Potts, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
Others see a need for a covert way to support missionaries.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Port Harcourt was founded in 1913 and governed by the military, the police, and by courts that upheld colonial law to protect British commercial interests and missionaries.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
In the decades that followed, missionaries, emigrants, soldiers – and even Pony Express riders – made their way across the area.
—Chris Mueller, Des Moines Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Not bad for a musical about Mormon missionaries trying to convert the residents of a remote Ugandan village — an idea that, let’s face it, sounds ripe for disaster.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
In the South, Black ministers and White missionaries welcomed the formerly enslaved into the faith and worked with them to establish independent social and political lives.
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Hispanic settlers and missionaries later made their way into the area, and tribes continued to live in various parts of Arizona.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Daniel Thomas Potts, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
Others see a need for a covert way to support missionaries.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Port Harcourt was founded in 1913 and governed by the military, the police, and by courts that upheld colonial law to protect British commercial interests and missionaries.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
In the decades that followed, missionaries, emigrants, soldiers – and even Pony Express riders – made their way across the area.
—Chris Mueller, Des Moines Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Not bad for a musical about Mormon missionaries trying to convert the residents of a remote Ugandan village — an idea that, let’s face it, sounds ripe for disaster.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
In the South, Black ministers and White missionaries welcomed the formerly enslaved into the faith and worked with them to establish independent social and political lives.
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Hispanic settlers and missionaries later made their way into the area, and tribes continued to live in various parts of Arizona.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missionaries
Noun
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This brings the total to five Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah reignited after the militant group fired rockets into Israel on March 2.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Nineteen people have died in Israel, while four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The concierge specializes in Kyoto’s cultural events, and can help access exclusive ochaya with an interpreter, score tickets to the theater, book dinner reservations, a huge help in Kyoto, or help arrange meetings with monks and priests at the city’s Shinto shrines and temples.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
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Nonbinary people have often occupied unique positions in their societies, serving as priests, artists, and ceremonial leaders.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Two monks sustained serious injuries, and one monk lost part of his leg as a result of the crash.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Missionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missionaries. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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