deacons

noun

plural of deacon
as in priests
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church my cousin was married by his uncle, who is also a deacon in his church

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of deacons Her parents, Baptist deacons who ultimately left the church over its refusal to ordain women, raised their children to wrestle with such questions. — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 While women cannot be ordained as priests or deacons, they are not forbidden from teaching the faith as theologians, catechists and scholars. — Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026 At the 1978 Lambeth Conference, Nigerian leadership opposed the recommendation to allow the ordination of women as deacons and priests, though the proposal sparked debate within the church. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 Two thousand people are expected to attend, including numerous religious figures such as bishops, priests and deacons. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026 Early Christians cited menstruation as the reason for not allowing female deacons or priests. — Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026 Powell’s lawyers also introduced documentation that Lorch, who began coaching the Hawks in 1961, served on Riverside’s board of deacons and board of trustees, as well as several church committees, and that the Hawks’ basketball success was touted multiple times in Riverside’s official newsletter. — Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026 Last December, they were ordained to be transitional deacons by Cardinal Robert McElroy, who was then head of the San Diego diocese and is both a controversial and consequential figure in the Catholic church. — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025 As eight priests, two deacons and the Milwaukee archbishop celebrated Mass at the altar, Grunwaldt skirted the back, quietly keeping the operation running. — Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deacons
  1. priests
  2. preachers
Noun
  • The fabric above the bed is from a kesa robe, worn by some Buddhist priests.
    — Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 25 July 2026
  • Based on Landa’s work, Mayanists of the 1930s and ‘40s developed an image of the classic Maya as a civilization without war, but living under the control of astronomer-priests who used their complex calendars to rule the common people.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 21 July 2026
Definition of priests
Noun
  • Videos posted on social media show street preachers speaking with multiple police officers outside the event.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • Instead, there are countless influencers, preachers, and personalities who have created niche movements with their own theologies and political alignments.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026
Definition of preachers

Browse Nearby Words

deaconesses
deacons
deactivate
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Cite this Entry

“Deacons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deacons. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of deacons for Spanish Speakers

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