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
Army chaplains, along with some Navy chaplains, place flags at the gravesites of those buried on Chaplains Hill in Section 2 of the cemetery.
—
Mike Snider, USA Today, 23 May 2026
The department thanked volunteers, chaplains, cadets, the Sacramento County Crime Lab, Sacramento County Probation and the Los Rios Police Department for assisting with the checkpoint.
—Reeti Malhotra, 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
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Mike Snider, USA Today, 23 May 2026
The department thanked volunteers, chaplains, cadets, the Sacramento County Crime Lab, Sacramento County Probation and the Los Rios Police Department for assisting with the checkpoint.
—Reeti Malhotra, 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
See All Example Sentences for chaplain
Cite this Entry
“Chaplain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaplain. Accessed 28 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)
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