Jump To:

• sexton
  sexton

  noun

  an official of a church charged with taking care of the edifice and its contents, ringing the bell, etc., and sometimes with burying the dead.
• Sexton
  Sexton

  noun

  Anne (Harvey), 1928–74, U.S. poet.

sexton

¹ American  

[sek-stuhn] / ˈsɛk stən /

noun

1. an official of a church charged with taking care of the edifice and its contents, ringing the bell, etc., and sometimes with burying the dead.

2. an official who maintains a synagogue and its religious articles, chants the designated portion of the Torah on prescribed days, and assists the cantor in conducting services on festivals.

---

Sexton ² American  

[sek-stuhn] / ˈsɛk stən /

noun

1. Anne (Harvey), 1928–74, U.S. poet.

---

sexton British  

/ ˈsɛkstən /

noun

1. a person employed to act as caretaker of a church and its contents and graveyard, and often also as bell-ringer, gravedigger, etc

2. another name for the burying beetle

---

Other Word Forms

• sextonship
  noun
• undersexton
  noun

---

Etymology

Origin of sexton

1275–1325; Middle English sexteyn, sekesteyn, syncopated variant of segerstane, secristeyn < Anglo-French segerstaine sacristan

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sexton Sexton

When she later fell pregnant, Van Gogh was accused by the village sexton of being responsible.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 14, 2022

“The sexton is an incredibly important role at Old North, serving both the church and historic site and connecting a nearly 300-year lineage of caretakers,” Nikki Stewart, executive director of the Old North Foundation said.

From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2022

It means I’m its chief executive officer, as well as its chief of police, tree warden and cemetery sexton, and I wind the clock in the Scotland Congregational Church.

From New York Times ● May 7, 2022

Mark Sealey digs graves for a living - although the more accurate description for his job is a sexton.

From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2022

Later he began to wish that he could put several other questions, such as “Do you like being a sexton?" or “Are you a slave?” or even “Are you happy?"

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

“I’ve been on the other side when he can’t miss,” Sexton said, “so it’s definitely good to be on his side.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Last season, Collin Sexton was a guard in Charlotte, trying helplessly to slow Doncic as he dropped 38 on the Hornets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Collin Sexton and Jarred Vanderbilt come through for the Lakers in their 16-point victory over the Clippers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

Collin Sexton hasn’t piled up gaudy numbers, but his role on the court has been critical for the Lakers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The chapel was erected at the cost of £3,000, by Mr. Horace Sexton, from the plans of Mr. Joseph James, architect, Furnival’s Inn. 

From Norfolk Annals A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteeth Century, Vol. 2 by Charles Mackie

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---