dean

noun

ˈdēn How to pronounce dean (audio)
Synonyms of deannext
1
a
: the head of the chapter of a collegiate or cathedral church
b
: a Roman Catholic priest who supervises one district of a diocese
2
a
: the head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university
b
: a college or secondary school administrator in charge of counseling and disciplining students
3
: doyen sense 1
dean intransitive verb
deanship
ˈdēn-ˌship How to pronounce dean (audio)
noun

Synonyms of dean

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Examples of dean in a Sentence

She's the dean of the university's business school. the dean of liberal arts
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.
Bryan Murotake, a defendant and former UCLA assistant dean of students who signed charging notices against Kupsh, did not respond to a request for comment. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Alexia Rolle, the dean of career and technical education at Miami Dade College, has seen how apprenticeships can change lives. — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 Matthew Woodward, a gay man who now serves as dean of Trinity Cathedral, credited Lamb with helping make his job possible. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 In 2025, Kohut became the dean of research for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and director of research for the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dean

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deen, from Anglo-French deen, deien, from Late Latin decanus chief of ten, from Greek dekanos, from deka ten — more at ten

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Phrases Containing dean

Rhymes for dean

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Browse Nearby Words

deaminization
dean
Dean
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Cite this Entry

“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dean

noun
ˈdēn How to pronounce dean (audio)
1
: the head of the chapter of a cathedral church
2
a
: the head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university
b
: a college or secondary school administrator in charge of counseling or disciplining students
3
: the senior member of a group
the dean of the diplomatic corps
deanship
-ˌship How to pronounce dean (audio)
noun

Biographical Definition

Dean

biographical name

ˈdēn How to pronounce Dean (audio)
Sir Patrick 1909–1994 British diplomat
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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