presbyter

American  

[prez-bi-ter, pres-] / ˈprɛz bɪ tər, ˈprɛs- /

noun

1. (in the early Christian church) an office bearer who exercised teaching, priestly, and administrative functions.

2. (in hierarchical churches) a priest.

3. an elder in a Presbyterian church.

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presbyter British  

/ ˈprɛzbɪtə /

noun

1. 1. an elder of a congregation in the early Christian Church

   2. (in some Churches having episcopal politics) an official who is subordinate to a bishop and has administrative, teaching, and sacerdotal functions

2. (in some hierarchical Churches) another name for priest

3. 1. a teaching elder

   2. a ruling elder

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Other Word Forms

• nonpresbyter noun
• presbyteral adjective

Etymology

Origin of presbyter

1590–1600; < Late Latin, noun use of the adj.: older < Greek presbýteros, equivalent to présby ( s ) old + -teros comparative suffix

Example Sentences

“When Mona asked … for just about everybody in the Presbyterian, it was an instantaneous recognition of how much sense this made,” said Wendy Tajima, executive presbyter, or spiritual leader, of the church.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025

Alexandria, like all of Christendom, was then rent by the soft doctrine of the presbyter Arius, who argued that Jesus Christ was a good man, not God; that truth is reason, not mystery.

From Time Magazine Archive

In Boston next week Father Williams is to be an attending presbyter at the consecration of his predecessor, Bishop-elect Burton.

From Time Magazine Archive

Bishops as well as district and parish committees will have to approve any parish's choice for a new minister, or "presbyter," as he will be called.

From Time Magazine Archive

His faith must be put to a sore trial, but the presbyter Amulius believes that he has been too well instructed in the truth to depart from it.”

From Jovinian A Story of the Early Days of Papal Rome by Kingston, William Henry Giles