noun
-
a person who has the calling and function of preaching the Christian Gospel, esp a Protestant clergyman
-
a person who preaches
noun
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
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.
Bradley Cobb, 47, a UPS driver and a preacher in Charleston, another county seat, said he, his wife and their voting-age children all support anti-prison candidates.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Islam is the state religion but the constitution guarantees freedom of worship, subject to approval by the authorities for the place of worship and the preacher.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
“Rev. Jackson was a dynamic speaker, a preacher, so it was call and response,” she said.
From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026
Suddenly the lines about needing a hermit in the woods as much as a preacher in the pulpit came so much more alive from the endless horizon atop a watchtower.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026
For the men of the island, except for the preacher and the occasional male teacher, the Bay was an all-consuming passion.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.