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
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
Cardinal Giovanni Battista, the dean of the College of Cardinals, will lead the proceedings.
—
George Petras, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Some deans have even been chosen as pope, including Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025
Re was elected dean in 2020 and was set to serve a five-year term until Francis extended it in February.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 22 Apr. 2025
The service will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.
—David Chiu, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
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George Petras, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Some deans have even been chosen as pope, including Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025
Re was elected dean in 2020 and was set to serve a five-year term until Francis extended it in February.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 22 Apr. 2025
The service will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.
—David Chiu, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
Cite this Entry
“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 29 Apr. 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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