a person who has the calling and function of preaching the Christian Gospel, esp a Protestant clergyman
a person who preaches
1175–1225; Middle English precho ( u ) r < Old French prech ( e ) or, earlier preëch ( e ) or < Late Latin praedicātor. See preach, -or 2
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
“The biggest issues we have with soccer in this country is fields and we have issues with costs,” he says with the fervor of a Baptist preacher.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
The preacher, they said, had been curing the ill through prayer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
Then there’s Paula White, a charismatic preacher who has long been close to Trump.
From Salon ● May 15, 2026
Plus, JP’s dad is a preacher, and JP has a freckled face, round belly, and short brown hair just like him.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Insider info: Miles Caton sung alongside the musician H.E.R. before being cast as blues prodigy Preacher Boy, but he had to learn to master the guitar for the role.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
And that's why Preacher Boy’s talent draws Remmick.
From Salon ● May 2, 2025
This new revival departs from his plan of dividing Oedipus into two roles, Preacher Oedipus and Blind Oedipus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2023
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
I noticed that ’stead of folding up his knife, the Preacher kept it open.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
The two preachers have previously been detained by authorities, the most recent being in January, when they were summoned by police for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble".
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Muslims ruled large parts of India from the early 13th to the 19th century, and during this era Muslim preachers and Sufi mystics actively proselytized for Islam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
That was never in question, since great preachers, the ones who make the gospel’s message stick, also know how to make their congregations laugh.
From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2026
He spoke of his religiosity — his grandfather and great-grandfather were Baptist preachers — and talked at length about the optimism, a political rarity these days, that undergirds his vision for the country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2026
She timidly suggested that he was here at a flattering disadvantage, for she had heard all of the preachers, but he had not, for a very long time, eaten another woman’s cooking.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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.
