a person who has the calling and function of preaching the Christian Gospel, esp a Protestant clergyman
a person who preaches
1175–1225; Middle English precho ( u ) r < Old French prech ( e ) or, earlier preëch ( e ) or < Late Latin praedicātor. See preach, -or 2
A preacher is a Christian religious leader. On Sundays, preachers deliver sermons in churches. While it's possible to preach, or proclaim publicly, about non-religious topics, you're most likely to find the word preacher describing an evangelist Christian minister or pastor. There are also informal street preachers who preach the gospel to people who walk by. Preacher comes from the Latin word praedicatorem, "public praiser," or "proclaimer."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Also addressing the May 17 gathering was the Rev. Franklin Graham, a leading evangelical preacher and the president of Samaritan’s Purse.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
Jobs may have been a leading preacher of Silicon Valley’s gospel of failure as a steppingstone to success, but his own self-indulgence nearly turned NeXT into a trek to nowhere.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
Then there’s Paula White, a charismatic preacher who has long been close to Trump.
From Salon • May 15, 2026
The country that houses the world’s second-largest Hindu temple is the U.S.—also home to the Christian street preacher, the Mormon missionary and the combative atheist.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
He wasn't a preacher, but he was definitely preaching something—a vision.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
