pastor

American  

[pas-ter, pah-ster] / ˈpæs tər, ˈpɑ stər /

noun

• pastors
  plural

1. a minister or priest in charge of a church.

2. a person having spiritual care of a number of persons.

3. Ornithology. any of various starlings, especially Sturnus roseus rosy pastor of Europe and Asia.

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verb (used with object)

1. to serve as the pastor of.

   He pastored the church here for many years.

pastor British  

/ ˈpɑːstə /

noun

1. a clergyman or priest in charge of a congregation

2. a person who exercises spiritual guidance over a number of people

3. an archaic word for shepherd

4. Also called: rosy pastor.  a S Asian starling, Sturnus roseus, having glossy black head and wings and a pale pink body

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pastor Cultural  

1. In some groups of Christians (see also Christian), the clergyman in charge of an individual congregation. The term is used this way in the Lutheran Church and Roman Catholic Church and, to a lesser extent, by Baptists and in the Protestant Episcopal Church.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pastorship
  noun
• subpastor
  noun
• pastorless
  adjective
• pastorlike
  adjective
• pastorly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pastors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pastor

1325–75; < Latin pāstor shepherd, literally, feeder, equivalent to pās-, base of pāscere to put to pasture, feed + -tor -tor; replacing Middle English pastour < Anglo-French

Explanation

A pastor is someone with the authority to lead religious services. Pastors lead church services and help others worship. Pastor is a religious title used mostly in Christian churches. The pastor is a leader within a church who has been ordained and therefore given the authority to conduct religious services. The pastor leads Sunday mass and other types of rituals, such as funerals. Members of the congregation may seek a pastor for advice. Within a religious community, a pastor is someone respected very much.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pastor pastors

Authorities detained its founding pastor Ezra Jin during the October crackdown but he was released in July, weeks after US President Donald Trump raised his case with Xi.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

“People feel like they’re imprisoned in their own neighborhood,” said Kyron Shorter, senior pastor at Bethesda Temple Church.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

And in Kansas, Adam Hamilton, a pastor who talks about bipartisanship, will take on Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in November.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026

Last month OpenAI was sued for the “unauthorized practice of medicine” by a Florida pastor seeking advice for a pulmonary embolism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

When Beto pointed her out, the pastor began to wave and call to her.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Ren insisted that financial giving -- used partly to pay pastors -- is part of Biblical teaching practised by Christian churches.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Lynas said he believes the bill risks criminalising "teachers, parents, therapists, pastors and many others".

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

“Central Florida’s #1 Private Christian School” asks applicants to its now $28,370-a-year high school for reference letters from pastors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

A growing number of self-identified pastors such as Dale Partridge, Joel Webbon, and Martin Sedra have borrowed influencer-style tactics to draw in viewers.

From Salon ● May 4, 2026

I went on missions to inspect fallen trees that needed removing, talked to neighborhood pastors who were upset about traffic or garbage collection, and often represented the mayor’s office at community functions.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• cleric
• minister
• preacher
• priest
• rector
• vicar