preacher
noun
a person whose occupation or function it is to preach the gospel.
preacher
1
British
/ ˈpriːtʃə /
noun
-
a person who has the calling and function of preaching the Christian Gospel, esp a Protestant clergyman
-
a person who preaches
Preacher
2
British
/ ˈpriːtʃə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of preacher
1175–1225; Middle English precho ( u ) r < Old French prech ( e ) or, earlier preëch ( e ) or < Late Latin praedicātor. See preach, -or 2
Explanation
A preacher is a Christian religious leader. On Sundays, preachers deliver sermons in churches. While it's possible to preach, or proclaim publicly, about non-religious topics, you're most likely to find the word preacher describing an evangelist Christian minister or pastor. There are also informal street preachers who preach the gospel to people who walk by. Preacher comes from the Latin word praedicatorem, "public praiser," or "proclaimer."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His sentencing will conclude a dramatic and protracted downfall for a preacher who at one point been preparing to take NOS global with expansion to the US.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Then an army of serfs and others marched on the king to demand basic rights, led by the canny ex-soldier Wat Tyler and the popular preacher John Ball.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
It neatly sums up the endgame in which we find ourselves — and his vanquishing of the preacher Eli speaks to what we worship in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
The former seminarian, whose grandfather was a Baptist preacher, "has the right, wonderful principles and all of the plans to put into effect that will make the country great again," she said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026
‘You one of his relatives or the preacher in his church?’
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Preacher Bamm is too busy throwing his daughter’s vanities out into the yard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
It could be Preacher, who has a religious bent; or Bigger, the raw but hyperobservant new recruit; or the war-weary Silk, who already has a Purple Heart; or the aggressive Crazy Horse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025
In addition to the blocking, the scene comes together through a combination of performance, lighting and song selection, with the Dusty Springfield hit “Son of a Preacher Man” helping to further elevate it.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2023
Preacher Paul Mackenzie Nthenge is in custody, pending a court appearance.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2023
We waited spellbound to hear who Preacher Parr thought better of than himself.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
In the halcyon days of the televangelists, when Jim Bakker stood shoulder to shoulder with fire and brimstone preachers such as Jerry Farwell, Pat Robertson and Jimmy Swaggart, the collection plate always seemed bottomless.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
But when Swaggart caught wind of the tryst, he saw an opportunity to topple his rival and took the matter to the Assemblies of God, the church fellowship both preachers belonged to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Because many colonists were illiterate, the Declaration was commonly declaimed by local officials in town squares and preachers in pulpits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
"The government needs to take actions against the hate marches and hate preachers and extremists," he said.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026
Janice simply ignored them, directing us instead, figuring in her head the positions of the preachers, the crowd, Kwang, paletting their various skin tones into an ambient mix for the media.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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