PREACHER Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

preacher

noun

ˈprē-chər

Definition of preacher

as in priest

a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church the marriage will be performed by our usual preacher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of preacher Demario Davis makes his living as an NFL linebacker for the New York Jets but lives his life by the Bible that has turned him at times into something of an amateur preacher. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Everyone who was anyone among evangelicals – preacher Billy Graham, gospel singer Pat Boone, fellow televangelist Oral Roberts – appeared on the show. — John Wigger, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026 Kirk Whalum was another preacher’s son; a soul-pop sax player from Memphis who, like everyone else, approached his playing as a creative and spiritual mission. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 One of the teens, Eden, is the daughter of a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher and is having a secret love affair. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for preacher

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preacher

Noun

In an email sent to priests of the archdiocese on Saturday afternoon and shared with NPR, Archbishop Ronald Hicks also said the deal had not yet been signed but that an agreement had been reached with plaintiffs and their attorneys.

— Chandelis Duster, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
The Georgetown initiative focuses on descendants of slaves sold by Georgetown's Jesuit priests to slaveholders in Louisiana.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of priest

Noun

Without the charismatic clergyman, what kind of unruly Black-underclass anger would take the stage?

— Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
When Yakovlev mentioned the clergyman who attended the death-bed, Adelaide expressed surprise that John had asked to see a pastor.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of clergyman

Noun

The Johnson County pastor and the former rural doctor traded condemnations, repeatedly turning policy questions into opportunities to cast doubt on each other’s character and fitness for office.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Reporter covering religion, spirituality and meaning-making A 79-year-old Colorado pastor who lost 35 pounds and the strength to walk after being placed in immigration detention 13 months ago has been released by order of a federal magistrate judge.

— Washington Post, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of pastor

Noun

Their representatives spoke after meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu earlier Monday, before the ministers’ news conference.

— Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
He was reelected four years later and was succeeded by one of his cabinet ministers, Dilma Rousseff, in 2010.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of minister

Browse Nearby Words

preached

preacher

preachers

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Preacher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preacher. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of preacher

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes