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

In fairness, Mr. Trump succeeded in pressing China to free a jailed Christian pastor, Ezra Jin, whose children are U.S. citizens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Every American pastor has the same First Amendment rights as any other citizen.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

But the last white, Democratic pastor in Congress was Bob Edgar, a Methodist minister representing Pennsylvania from 1975 to 1987.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

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

By the end of the sermon, the pastor had convinced himself that he’d converted my dad, because my dad kept nodding and saying yes to everything.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Stetler worried about a future generation of AI-reliant pastors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

He takes construction jobs on the side, on top of a small side business creating resources, such as curriculum, for other pastors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 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

The Watermelon Feed began with a prayer by one of the pastors at Temple Baptist Church, the biggest church in Odessa.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

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