Synonyms of missionary

missionary 1 of 2

noun

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.

Related Words

• missioner
• soldier
• priest
• monk
• apostle
• minister
• preacher
• bishop
• religious
• evangelist
• revivalist
• deacon
• clergyman
• friar
• scholar
• pastor
• student
• reverend
• monastic
• clerical
• ecclesiastic
• padre
• mendicant
• cleric
• proselytizer
• churchman
• chaplain
• deaconess
• prelate
• diocesan
• vicar
• divine
• pope
• archbishop
• priestess
• curé
• presbyter
• dean
• parson
• rector
• dominie
• abbot
• clerk
• father
• abbé
• advocate
• oblate
• confessor
• clergyperson
• shepherd
• monsignor
• partisan
• faithful
• curate
• supporter
• disciple
• protégé
• clergywoman
• loyalist
• Holy Joe
• devotee
• archpriest
• high priest
• high priestess
• champion
• worshipper
• zealot
• adherent
• enthusiast
• fan
• sectarian
• ideologist
• sky pilot
• acolyte
• admirer
• idolater
• follower
• ideologue
• pupil
• votary
• cultist
• backer
• convert
• liege man
• epigone
• votarist

Dissimilar Words

• renegade
• traitor
• defector
• apostate
• leader
• turncoat
• secular
• layman
• layperson
• lector
• lay reader
• coryphaeus

missionary

2 of 2

adjective

as in apostolic

relating to missionaries or their work

The church organizes missionary trips to a variety of countries.

Related Words

• apostolic
• evangelical
• papal
• religious
• pastoral
• episcopal
• diocesan
• ecclesiastical
• ecclesiastic
• pontifical
• patriarchal
• diaconal
• canonical
• churchly
• sacramental
• divine
• monastic
• mendicant
• conventual
• holy
• ministerial
• clerical
• rabbinic
• sacerdotal
• priestly
• monachal
• caliphal
• clerkly

Dissimilar Words

• secular
• lay
• temporal
• nonclerical

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of missionary

Noun

Another stand-out category is Hawaiian quilts, which the expert says tend to feature large, bold floral designs and reflect traditional Hawaiian aesthetics that were adapted after quilting was introduced by missionaries. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2026

Hawaii has a long and complex history, from its Indigenous roots and royal monarchy to the arrival of missionaries and Western influence. — Sharael Kolberg, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026

Adjective

Early life and music career Colson Baker was born in Houston to missionary parents. — Alison Eldridge, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 June 2026

An American doctor was infected with Ebola while working with a medical missionary organization in Democratic Republic of Congo. — Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 27 May 2026