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 People of faith often embraced his work, and preachers sometimes cited it in sermons. — Courier Journal Staff, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 2026 Politicians and preachers denounced them for blasphemy, perversion, and their loud support for civil rights. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026 In the movie, a local brothel — the Devil’s Playhouse — becomes the target of a TV preacher, forcing the town’s sheriff, who happens to be a frequent customer, to save it. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026 The son of a former preacher, the South Carolina native grew up around music. — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for preacher

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preacher

Noun

For critics inside the church, however, that raises a difficult question about the kind of assistance priests should offer soldiers.

— CNN Staff, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Sheen was born May 8, 1895, in El Paso, Illinois, and was ordained a priest in 1919.

— Aleja Hertzler-McCain, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of priest

Noun

The seeds are then planted in California, where Eddie Anderson, a clergyman, political organizer and the founder of Freedom Farms Collective, helps oversee their growth.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Costco ditches its Kirkland beer Pope Leo XIV, who grew up listening to popular American television preacher Archbishop Fulton Sheen, praised his fellow Illinois clergyman as an inspiration today on the eve of Sheen’s beatification.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of clergyman

Noun

In addition to serving as New Jersey’s lieutenant governor, Caldwell is a pastor at the Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2026
Their pastor also helped bring their children safely home on the night of the lightning strike.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of pastor

Noun

Kaya, who served as Turkey ’s family and social affairs minister from 2016 to 2018, has not responded directly to the allegations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Estimates are that there are upward of 9,000 cases; the country's health minister has announced that 1 in 60 adults are now living with HIV.

— David Cox, NPR, 26 Sep. 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 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of preacher

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

epistemic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

'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

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

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?'

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes