as in missioners
a person who is sent especially to a foreign country to do religious work (such as converting people to the religion or ministering to the sick)
The missionaries sent to the island were ultimately unsuccessful in converting the native residents.
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Recent Examples of missionaries
They were followed in 1527 by Dominican missionaries, and eight years later a Portuguese port and trading center were established at Faifo (modern Hoi An), south of present-day Da Nang.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
But the presence in Iran of American missionaries and, later, invited government technocrats, was of an entirely different quality.
—Daniel Thomas Potts, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
Others see a need for a covert way to support missionaries.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Port Harcourt was founded in 1913 and governed by the military, the police, and by courts that upheld colonial law to protect British commercial interests and missionaries.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
In the decades that followed, missionaries, emigrants, soldiers – and even Pony Express riders – made their way across the area.
—Chris Mueller, Des Moines Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Not bad for a musical about Mormon missionaries trying to convert the residents of a remote Ugandan village — an idea that, let’s face it, sounds ripe for disaster.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Black denominations in the North had rushed to send missionaries, ministers, and supplies into territories retaken by the US Army.
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
But the presence in Iran of American missionaries and, later, invited government technocrats, was of an entirely different quality.
—Daniel Thomas Potts, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
Others see a need for a covert way to support missionaries.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Port Harcourt was founded in 1913 and governed by the military, the police, and by courts that upheld colonial law to protect British commercial interests and missionaries.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
In the decades that followed, missionaries, emigrants, soldiers – and even Pony Express riders – made their way across the area.
—Chris Mueller, Des Moines Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Not bad for a musical about Mormon missionaries trying to convert the residents of a remote Ugandan village — an idea that, let’s face it, sounds ripe for disaster.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Black denominations in the North had rushed to send missionaries, ministers, and supplies into territories retaken by the US Army.
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missionaries
Noun
-
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, supreme commander of the Luftwaffe, Hitler’s second in command, and the highest-ranking surviving Nazi leader, steps out of the car, stands at attention to announce his surrender, and orders the soldiers to carry his bags.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Ten Israeli soldiers have died there.—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The concierge specializes in Kyoto’s cultural events, and can help access exclusive ochaya with an interpreter, score tickets to the theater, book dinner reservations, a huge help in Kyoto, or help arrange meetings with monks and priests at the city’s Shinto shrines and temples.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
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Nonbinary people have often occupied unique positions in their societies, serving as priests, artists, and ceremonial leaders.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Two monks sustained serious injuries, and one monk lost part of his leg as a result of the crash.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Missionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missionaries. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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