deacon

American  

[dee-kuhn] / ˈdi kən /

noun

1. (in hierarchical churches) a member of the clerical order next below that of a priest.

2. (in other churches) an appointed or elected officer having variously defined duties.

3. (in Freemasonry) either of two officers in a masonic lodge.

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verb (used with object)

1. to pack (vegetables or fruit) with only the finest pieces or the most attractive sides visible.

2. to falsify (something); doctor.

3. to castrate (a pig or other animal).

4. to read aloud (a line of a psalm, hymn, etc.) before singing it.

deacon British  

/ ˈdiːkən /

noun

1. (in the Roman Catholic and other episcopal churches) an ordained minister ranking immediately below a priest

2. (in Protestant churches) a lay official appointed or elected to assist the minister, esp in secular affairs

3. the president of an incorporated trade or body of craftsmen in a burgh

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Other Word Forms

• deaconship
  noun
• underdeacon
  noun

Etymology

Origin of deacon

before 900; Middle English deken, Old English diacon < Late Latin diāconus < Greek diā́konos servant, minister, deacon, equivalent to diā- dia- + -konos service

Explanation

In many Christian faiths, a deacon is an assistant to the minister or priest. If you're a deacon in the Catholic church, you can perform marriage ceremonies and baptize babies. In some churches, deacons are ordained like ministers and have the religious authority to perform many of the same actions, from preaching to communion. Other faiths elect deacons from among the laypeople (in other words, these deacons aren't members of the clergy). Some religions don't allow women to be deacons, but in others everyone is eligible for this position. The Greek root of deacon is diakonos, "servant of the church."

Example Sentences

Parishioners proceed to the front of the church, where a priest or deacon marks a black cross on their foreheads.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Again facing fraud charges, he fled the UK for a remote part of Kenya where not only did he claim to be an Anglican deacon but also a retired cardiac surgeon.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

The family sang gospel music and were active in the Church of God in Christ, where K.C. was a deacon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2025

It was the latest turn in a yearslong battle pitting the former deacon, Scott Peyton, and his family against the Diocese of Lafayette.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2024

“I guess you would. And you’d be even madder if you had a granddaddy so sick he couldn’t move, and a deacon from the town come down to tell him he had to move anyway.”

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt