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

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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
  • With sawdust on the asphalt and splintered wood on the hillside, one of the city’s most venerable trees was torn apart on Monday.
    — Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There's no shortage of high-end vehicles to drive these days and venerable automakers are competing to produce the greatest, most luxurious and flashiest status symbols.
    — Morgan Korn, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of venerable
Noun
  • In Natasha Pulley’s kaleidoscopic novel, a Vatican priest returns to the mining town of his youth to confront the cult following behind the eponymous Salt King.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Jon asks, suggesting a name and/or laying the groundwork for his priest father to come and bless the child.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 July 2026
Definition of priest
Adjective
  • Nund Rishi was influenced in part by the 14th-century Shaiva Hindu mystic and poet Lal Ded, one of Kashmir’s most revered spiritual figures.
    — Peter Dziedzic, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
  • Schneerson died in 1994, but remains a revered figure globally.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of revered
Noun
  • John Lewis Dyer, an itinerant Methodist preacher, arrived with the earliest prospectors in 1862.
    — John Meyer, Denver Post, 26 July 2026
  • Videos posted on social media show street preachers speaking with multiple police officers outside the event.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
Definition of preacher
Adjective
  • 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
  • To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark live release, Frampton recounts his history in bands The Herd and Humble Pie before striking stadium-sellout gold as a solo star with venerated guitar chops and an inventive talk box.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 3 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
  • For a standard Republican candidate, a hypothetical best-case scenario is a respectable loss in November.
    — Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
  • While all respectable in their own right, there are additional haunts along and beyond the Front Range still serving cold ones today — and some are said to be just that, haunted.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 31 July 2026
Definition of respectable
Noun
  • Among the residential buildings were the home of a deacon named Tisous and another that researchers think may have originally been a house church before the construction of the basilica.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 6 July 2026
  • Among them were the house of Tisous, identified as a church deacon and dating to the second half of the fourth century, which archaeologists believe served as a house church before the construction of the city’s basilica.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of deacon

Browse Nearby Words

reverencing
reverend
Reverend Mother
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Cite this Entry

“Reverend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverend. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on reverend

Nglish: Translation of reverend for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reverend

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