pastor
Americannoun
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a minister or priest in charge of a church.
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a person having spiritual care of a number of persons.
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Ornithology. any of various starlings, especially Sturnus roseus rosy pastor of Europe and Asia.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a clergyman or priest in charge of a congregation
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a person who exercises spiritual guidance over a number of people
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an archaic word for shepherd
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Also called: rosy pastor. a S Asian starling, Sturnus roseus, having glossy black head and wings and a pale pink body
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing pastor
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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.
Serving up heaps of fatty cabeza and sizzling al pastor, it grew to nearly a dozen locations spanning from Long Beach to L.A. to the Antelope Valley, drawing praise from prominent food critics.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
Mr. Jin is founding pastor of the Zion Church of China.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Ju, who also serves as a Christian pastor, started his dog farm in 1994 after finding he could not make a living from his ministry alone.
From Barron's • Jun. 28, 2026
Fifty-five-year-old pastor Deogratias Kasereka became the first Ebola patient to leave the centre a week ago.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
The pastor shook his head and rubbed his hand over his face before resting it on Ophie’s arm.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
