PRESBYTER Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

presbyter

noun

Definition of presbyter

as in bishop

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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 presbyter This would be the case also for an apostate, heretic, schismatic bishop, presbyter, or deacon. — Fr. Goran Jovicic, National Review, 13 June 2021 Before coming to Birmingham, Webster had served 18 years as executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca in southern New Mexico. — Greg Garrison, AL.com, 19 July 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for presbyter

Noun

Seven top clergypersons of the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the church head, Karekin II, have been charged with crimes related to the church’s refusal to restore a mutinous bishop.

— Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2026
Among the mourners and dozens of clergy at Trinity Cathedral in midtown Sacramento on Thursday was a man who met Jerry Lamb just once but whose life the late bishop touched.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of bishop

Noun

The group was founded in 1970 in Switzerland by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, a French prelate, but five years later was officially suppressed by the Bishop of Fribourg.

— Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
In roughly 33 hours over the course of two days, the diverse group of international prelates elected Prevost on the fourth ballot.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026

Definition of prelate

Noun

The abbot eventually suspended the monk from his clerical duties a few months ago and the pair’s relationship worsened, per the outlet.

— Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
The court found that Shi used his positions, including as the temple abbot, to illegally embezzle more than $19 million alone or in conspiracy with others, between 2003 and 2025, CCTV reported.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026

Definition of abbot

Noun

Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, along with two orders of nuns, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and the Little Sisters of the Poor, filed a lawsuit last week to block Illinois’ assisted suicide law.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
As negotiations resumed under the mediation of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Cochabamba, Tito Solari, hopes briefly rose that the monthslong conflict might finally be nearing an end.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of archbishop

Noun

In 1961, Carrie Meek became the first Black educator at Miami Dade College, then called North Dade Junior College, working her way through the ranks to associate dean and eventually becoming a state legislator and congresswoman.

— Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Rao Unnava stepped down as dean of the Graduate School of Management on July 1 after serving in that position for a decade.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of dean

Noun

The former pastor, who founded Texas megachurch Gateway in 2000, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but all except six months of the time was suspended.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026
The asylum-seeking evangelical pastor dreamed of creating a vibrant gathering spot for Venezuelan immigrants.

— Elliot Spagat, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of pastor

Noun

Then in 1964, Parks became a deaconess in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

— Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
In her younger years, Webb was an avid churchgoer in Baltimore, Maryland alongside her father, a deacon, and her mother, a deaconess, who met in a church choir.

— Robyn Mowatt, ELLE, 22 June 2023

Definition of deaconess

Noun

The first is the strikingly Gothic diocesan throne, which sits in the cathedral choir and dates from the Victorian era.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
The diocesan website includes a statement from Dallas Bishop Edward Burns connecting the need for social distancing with the story of the Good Samaritan.

— David Tarrant, Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2020

Definition of diocesan

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“Presbyter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presbyter. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of presbyter

noun

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