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.
Gerstner is a longtime techno-optimist, spreading the gospel of Silicon Valley-style capitalism with the zeal of a revivalist preacher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The former seminarian, whose grandfather was a Baptist preacher, "has the right, wonderful principles and all of the plans to put into effect that will make the country great again," she said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026
“The biggest issues we have with soccer in this country is fields and we have issues with costs,” he says with the fervor of a Baptist preacher.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Then there’s Paula White, a charismatic preacher who has long been close to Trump.
From Salon ● May 15, 2026
Daisy went to church every Sunday and she talked sorrowfully to the preacher of her own husband.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Appeared in the March 24, 2026, print edition as 'The Supreme Court and the Street Preacher'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
And that's why Preacher Boy’s talent draws Remmick.
From Salon ● May 2, 2025
It could be Preacher, who has a religious bent; or Bigger, the raw but hyperobservant new recruit; or the war-weary Silk, who already has a Purple Heart; or the aggressive Crazy Horse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025
In addition to the blocking, the scene comes together through a combination of performance, lighting and song selection, with the Dusty Springfield hit “Son of a Preacher Man” helping to further elevate it.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2023
The Preacher waren’t seen for the next couple of days and that did cause some folks to worry, but everybody knowed he disappeared all the time so didn’t no one pay it too much mind.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Because many colonists were illiterate, the Declaration was commonly declaimed by local officials in town squares and preachers in pulpits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
That was never in question, since great preachers, the ones who make the gospel’s message stick, also know how to make their congregations laugh.
From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2026
The legislation includes provisions that will ban groups deemed to spread hate and introduce tougher penalties for preachers who advocate violence.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2026
He spoke of his religiosity — his grandfather and great-grandfather were Baptist preachers — and talked at length about the optimism, a political rarity these days, that undergirds his vision for the country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2026
Even under the best of circumstances me and preachers don’t mix so well.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
