deacon

American  

[dee-kuhn] / ˈdi kən /

noun

• deacons
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• deaconship
  noun
• underdeacon
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deacons
  plural

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

See Examples For:

deacon deacons

Then his neighbor, a deacon in his church, told him about a previous roommate who had died of cancer, and how he had recently been diagnosed himself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Walters gave him a box filled with handmade items, including piles of mittens, hats, and other items he’d crocheted for children; Collins dropped the box off with a church deacon.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

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

"We hope he'll continue with Francis's agenda going forward," said Rick Stevens, a Catholic deacon from New Jersey who happened to be visiting Chicago when he heard the news.

From BBC ● May 9, 2025

By the time they made it to the front of the church, a woman and her family were already talking with the deacon.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

The church’s money was handled by a finance team and overseen by its elders and deacons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Priests and deacons have marched at rallies and prayed for those detained and deported from Orange County to downtown L.A. and beyond.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2025

Currently the Catholic Church only allows men to become deacons - ordained ministers who can officiate baptisms, weddings and funerals but not mass, unlike priests.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2024

Two referred to the possibility of women being ordained deacons, and those received the most negative votes even though they passed.

From Reuters ● Oct. 28, 2023

The church deacons stood properly at the foot of the gangway, their hands grasping the lapels of their dark suits, their hats lifting in unison as soon as Mrs. Buckminster appeared on deck.

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