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presbyter
[ prez-bi-ter, pres- ]
/ ˈprɛz bɪ tər, ˈprɛs- /
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noun
(in the early Christian church) an office bearer who exercised teaching, priestly, and administrative functions.
(in hierarchical churches) a priest.
an elder in a Presbyterian church.
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Origin of presbyter
1590–1600; <Late Latin, noun use of the adj.: older <Greek presbýteros, equivalent to présby(s) old + -teros comparative suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM presbyter
pres·byt·er·al [prez-bit-er-uhl, pres-], /prɛzˈbɪt ər əl, prɛs-/, adjectivenon·pres·by·ter, nounWords nearby presbyter
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use presbyter in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for presbyter
presbyter
/ (ˈprɛzbɪtə) /
noun
- an elder of a congregation in the early Christian Church
- (in some Churches having episcopal politics) an official who is subordinate to a bishop and has administrative, teaching, and sacerdotal functions
(in some hierarchical Churches) another name for priest
(in the Presbyterian Church)
- a teaching elder
- a ruling elder
Word Origin for presbyter
C16: from Late Latin, from Greek presbuteros an older man, from presbus old man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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