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

Stephen, an obscure Roman presbyter, was elected Pope on March 2-3, 752, but two days later, before he could be crowned, died of apoplexy.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

Technically, what the presbyter vagans did by reading the marriage service was to pronounce a benediction.

From Time Magazine Archive

THE cognomens priest, prophet, presbyter, preacher, parson, and pastor have certain things in common, and these titles may therefore be used interchangeably.

From The Eliminator; or, Skeleton Keys to Sacerdotal Secrets by Westbrook, Richard B.