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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
However, Firecracker was too invested in her beliefs in Homelander and told the reverend to accept him as God. — Staff Author, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026 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 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
  • On the set of Doomsday, the venerable actor asked Pugh to tell him about her first theater production.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The episode title, though, nods to the venerable stand-up reality competition Last Comic Standing.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of venerable
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
Adjective
  • Mercury contamination, toxic algal blooms and invasive fish have threatened a rare and revered local fish, the chi.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • During his heyday, which included a lengthy tenure at Dior, Galliano established himself as one of the most revered and influential designers of the 20th century.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of revered
Noun
  • With bow and arrow in hand, Anghba finds his hunt for a wild boar across a riverbank interrupted by a raft floating downstream, as former tribespeople surround a jovial American preacher (Douglas Henshall), much to the chieftain’s chagrin.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Among the line-up are several Black Americans, one of whom is Oscar Rankin, a Black prizefighter and preacher, well known in the Black community.
    — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • So there’s not that much to happen in the last two-thirds of the drama than for your ribs to be constantly nudged with the idea of how easily the most respectable citizens among us will give in to modest proposals and, indeed, murder.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The question is whether Miami makes the losing margin respectable.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of respectable
Noun
  • Paden’s great-aunt, Dixie Wilson, talked of her great-nephew’s service as a junior deacon at the local New Market Christian Church.
    — Glenn Rice, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • His mother, Karen, sang in the choir, and his father, Andrew, was a deacon.
    — Jason Parham, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 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 29 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on reverend

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reverend

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