pastor

American  

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

noun

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

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

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

Example Sentences

Mr. Robertson is senior pastor of the Rock Church in Harrisburg, Pa., and founder and CEO of Black Pastors United for Education.

From The Wall Street Journal

King, a former pastor, did not have standard health insurance from his employer, only a cost-sharing alternative plan that said it would not cover the procedure.

From BBC

Salih Taylor, a federal worker, said he had not considered visiting a food drive until speaking with his church's pastor.

From Barron's

Lemon has denied participating in the protest at the church — assembled to decry that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field officer apparently serves as a pastor there — saying he was present in a journalistic capacity.

From Los Angeles Times

They chose Cities Church, they say, because one of the church pastors, David Easterwood, is also an ICE official.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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