as in missioner
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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as in apostolic
relating to missionaries or their work
The church organizes missionary trips to a variety of countries.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of missionary
Daniel Thomas Potts, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
The pope, though, has no plans to visit Monaco’s famous casino district and, according to his brother John, Leo gave up gambling after his time as a missionary in Peru.
—Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
His missionary experience in Peru, and international experience more broadly, was crucial.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for missionary
Noun
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
The pope, though, has no plans to visit Monaco’s famous casino district and, according to his brother John, Leo gave up gambling after his time as a missionary in Peru.
—Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Aquila hopes that his community has found a deeper love of Christ and the sacraments through his service and an understanding of the importance of being missionary disciples.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
His missionary experience in Peru, and international experience more broadly, was crucial.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for missionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missionary
Noun
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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
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Eby will continue to serve as outreach missioner at the Church of the Nativity and as priest-in-charge at St. Timothy’s Church in Athens.—
al,
al,
1 Dec. 2020
Adjective
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Kast and his wife are part of Schoenstatt, a Catholic apostolic movement devoted to the Virgin Mary.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Like his apostolic namesake, Thomas believes unquestioningly in the evidence of his senses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Israeli military’s top general took swift action, suspending all operational activities of a reserve battalion involved in the detention of CNN’s team in the West Bank – including dismissing one soldier from military service.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
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Like his comic book backstory, Castle is a former soldier who goes on a revenge mission after his wife and children were murdered.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For some evangelical Christians, faith is about having a personal relationship with Jesus.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Two evangelical Christian writers from different generations offer rival ideas about what a good life looks like for women.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When the priest takes his stringent methods too far, the existence of the commune is called into question.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
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Any pastor or priest, politician or podcaster, who charges that the modern children of Israel are anything other than the direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the beneficiaries of God’s unbreakable covenant with Israel, Hagee said, is not preaching the word of God.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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So in February, the university, collaborating with tech ventures Teraverse and XNOVA, unveiled Buddharoid, a humanoid robot monk meant to eventually assist clergy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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The bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha was finished in 1997 and is located in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, China, in a sacred scenic area said to have been established by the 7th-century monk Xuanzang.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Missionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missionary. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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