1
: a clergyperson in charge of a chapel
2
: a clergyperson officially attached to a branch of the military, to an institution, or to a family or court
3
: a person chosen to conduct religious exercises (as at a meeting of a club or society)
4
: a clergyperson appointed to assist a bishop (as at a liturgical function)
Examples of chaplain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The interdenominational chaplain has no campaign to speak of in his hometown of Redding.
—
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
Our chaplains, our staff, the heart doctors, the nurses, everybody, all the way down to housekeeping and transport.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 May 2026
Father Francis Sampson, chaplain of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, was tasked with finding Fritz and getting him to safety.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026
Skinner, a chaplain with the Utah Air National Guard, is running for office for the first time.
—Noah Daly
may 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaplain
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.
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
Our chaplains, our staff, the heart doctors, the nurses, everybody, all the way down to housekeeping and transport.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 May 2026
Father Francis Sampson, chaplain of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, was tasked with finding Fritz and getting him to safety.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026
Skinner, a chaplain with the Utah Air National Guard, is running for office for the first time.
—Noah Daly
may 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaplain
Cite this Entry
“Chaplain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaplain. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chaplain
noun
chap·lain
ˈchap-lən 
1
: a member of the clergy officially attached to a special group (as the army)
2
: a person chosen to conduct religious exercises (as for a club)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
