reverend 1 of 2

adjective

ˈrev-rənd How to pronounce reverend (audio)
Definition of reverendnext
as in venerable
deserving honor and respect especially by reason of age our reverend elders should be accorded a special place of honor at the ceremonies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reverend

2 of 2

noun

as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church called their reverend and asked if he could marry them next June

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 reverend
Adjective
No one was a better fit for the job to officiate Richie and Madden's 2010 wedding than the Run DMC frontman, who is a reverend IRL. — Grace Gavilanes, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2022 There before the reverend mother and God, the police (wielding rifles) and the butchers (wielding a cow trailer) managed to corral two of the steers. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2022
Noun
Curry said Firecracker is a lonely character, and her reverend is the only person on the show who sees and loves her earnestly. — Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2026 The reverend stands tall at the pulpit and reads from the Gospel of Matthew. — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reverend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverend
  1. venerable
  2. priest
  3. revered
  4. preacher
  5. venerated
  6. clergyman
  7. respectable
  8. deacon
Adjective
  • Busy schedules at venues of every size, particularly the venerable clubs and halls that help give Chicago its local flavor.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The husband-wife duo and their restaurant group that includes the likes of downtown Orlando’s Reyes Mezcaleria and Seito Sushi in Baldwin Park have been twice honored by the venerable James Beard Foundation.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of venerable
Noun
  • In 1972, William Christopher joined the cast of M*A*S*H as Father John Mulcahy, the Catholic priest who serves as the Army chaplain.
    — Rachel Flynn, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For the traditional Telugu Hindu ceremony, their priest translated Sanskrit to English in real time, and the mandap was designed as a circle to represent how life flows into itself for eternity.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of priest
Adjective
  • With a career spanning more than 60 years, Parton has been one of country music’s leading lights, one of the genre’s most revered and prolific songwriters.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
  • As the most honored and revered female country singer-songwriter of all time, Dolly Parton has influenced music beyond her own genre.
    — Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of revered
Noun
  • 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
Definition of preacher
Adjective
  • The site remains a venerated Buddhist shrine used for local worship.
    — Jack Tydeman, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026
  • On the night of June 15, a Russian drone directly hit the most venerated site for Ukraine’s majority Orthodox Christians, and indeed for much of Eastern Christendom.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2026
Definition of venerated
Noun
  • Such details include McCartney’s bare feet and opposite stride and the other members’ attire (Lennon’s white supposedly represents a clergyman, Starr’s black a mourner, and Harrison’s denim a gravedigger).
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 July 2026
  • Robin, our hero, is the son of a country clergyman.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of clergyman
Adjective
  • That's a respectable amount of performance for something under $1,500.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Since being picked in the second round by Indiana in 2016, Niang has carved out a respectable nine-year career spread across four different teams.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of respectable
Noun
  • This summer, archaeologists uncovered a 1,700-year-old Byzantine city in Egypt, complete with a church and a deacon's home.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Church deacons want it to be called Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, its previous name.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of deacon

Browse Nearby Words

reverencing
reverend
Reverend Mother
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reverend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverend. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on reverend

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reverend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All