plural preachers
Synonyms of preachernext
: one who preaches: such as
a
: a person who delivers a sermon publicly
a street preacher
b
: one whose function is to preach sermons : pastor, minister
She waited patiently on a Sunday morning until the crowd had said good-by to the preacher.Don Jeffries
"What kind of preacher are you? What denomination?" "I was ordained in a Baptist church, but I'm sort of nondenominational now."John Grisham
c
: one who inculcates or exhorts something earnestly or officiously
… he was an ardent preacher of gentlemanly ethics …Paul Schullery
… he was perceived by the larger world, not inaccurately, as a preacher of the hatred.Nicholas Lemann

Examples of preacher in a Sentence

the marriage will be performed by our usual preacher
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the movie, a local brothel — the Devil’s Playhouse — becomes the target of a TV preacher, forcing the town’s sheriff, who happens to be a frequent customer, to save it. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026 The son of a former preacher, the South Carolina native grew up around music. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026 Music was always a part of the family, especially via her mother, whose father was a preacher who played piano and guitar. CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 Parton’s first musical performances were in church, where her grandfather was a preacher. Kristin M. Hall, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for preacher

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preacher was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preacher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preacher. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

preacher

noun
preach·​er
ˈprē-chər
: one that preaches
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