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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Recent Examples of missionary
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 7 June 2026
Italian Jesuit missionary Felipe Salvador Gilij, who lived along the Orinoco River in Venezuela in the mid-18th century, is considered the first to document Indigenous leaf-wrapping practices.
—Sophia Rey, JSTOR Daily, 28 May 2026
Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 20 May 2026
Christian missionary narratives In later centuries, these anti-Muslim depictions were reworked to justify colonialism.
—Anna Piela, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for missionary
Noun
Scholars say 16th-century Catholic missionaries introduced Europe’s Grim Reaper figure to Mexico’s indigenous population, believing fear of death would instill a desire for salvation and convert them to Christianity.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 7 June 2026
Italian Jesuit missionary Felipe Salvador Gilij, who lived along the Orinoco River in Venezuela in the mid-18th century, is considered the first to document Indigenous leaf-wrapping practices.
—Sophia Rey, JSTOR Daily, 28 May 2026
Adjective
His colleague, Matt Allison -- the executive director of Serge, the Christian missionary group Stafford works for -- told ABC News that the doctor has been receiving monoclonal antibodies during his hospitalization.
—Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 20 May 2026
Christian missionary narratives In later centuries, these anti-Muslim depictions were reworked to justify colonialism.
—Anna Piela, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for missionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missionary
Noun
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In 1976, the residence was redesigned as a retirement home for church missioners.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
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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
Adjective
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On June 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II set out from Rome on an apostolic journey, as papal trips away from the Vatican are called.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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The leader of the Roman Catholic Church directed his remarks to university students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, during an 11-day apostolic journey in Africa.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Video has emerged that appears to counter the Israeli military’s account of an incident in which a soldier opened fire on a car carrying a family and killed their 7-month-old baby Sam Abu Haikal.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
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American soldiers liberated the camp months later, finding Haller at just 55 pounds and very sick.—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian and occasional preacher and missionary who held politically conservative views and had been struggling to find work.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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Major evangelical voices that once stayed silent on the issue rather than criticize now spew harshness and rhetoric, said Ruth Melkonian-Hoover, a professor of political science at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Noun
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He was assigned to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Overland Park from 2009 to 2015, and in his early years as a priest was at three churches in Osage County.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
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Coyote is an author, Zen Buddhist priest, and the voice of 12 Ken Burns documentaries.—
Time,
Time,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Ashore, kids might enjoy fruit tastings, watch dragon dance or Apsara performances, visit a silk-weaving village, meet local schoolchildren, or receive a monk's blessing.—
Ashlea Halpern,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
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The great Derek Jacobi plays the titular 12th century monk who was once a soldier of the Crusades.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Missionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missionary. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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