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
dean
intransitive verb
Synonyms
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
The other two finalists in the presidential search are Michael Hartline, the dean of the College of Business at Florida State University, and John Volin, executive vice president and provost at the University of Maine.
—
Jessica Abramsky, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
In the movie, Cardinal Lawrence, the beleaguered dean of the College of Cardinals, is tasked with keeping all the melodrama in check.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2025
The idea of a pro wrestling school with Andre Chase as the dean is a goofy idea and may not fit in alongside more serious stables.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Kevin Johnson, the former dean of UC Davis’ School of Law, said there are no clear guidelines on what happens if immigration enforcement arrives on campus.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dean 
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Jessica Abramsky, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
In the movie, Cardinal Lawrence, the beleaguered dean of the College of Cardinals, is tasked with keeping all the melodrama in check.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2025
The idea of a pro wrestling school with Andre Chase as the dean is a goofy idea and may not fit in alongside more serious stables.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Kevin Johnson, the former dean of UC Davis’ School of Law, said there are no clear guidelines on what happens if immigration enforcement arrives on campus.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dean
Dictionary Entries Near dean
Cite this Entry
“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dean
noun1
: 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
Biographical Definition
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