deaconess

noun

Definition of deaconessnext
as in clergyman

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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 deaconess Then in 1964, Parks became a deaconess in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025 In her younger years, Webb was an avid churchgoer in Baltimore, Maryland alongside her father, a deacon, and her mother, a deaconess, who met in a church choir. — Robyn Mowatt, ELLE, 22 June 2023 Welcome to the Rehearsal Club, an artist residency and the one-year-old reincarnation of a nonprofit organization founded in 1913 by Jane Harriss Hall, an Episcopal deaconess, and Jean Greer, the daughter of New York’s Episcopal bishop. — Joanne Kaufman, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deaconess
  1. clergyman
  2. priestess
  3. deacon
  4. bishop
  5. presbyter
  6. dean
  7. clergywoman
  8. churchman
Noun
  • Such details include McCartney’s bare feet and opposite stride and the other members’ attire (Lennon’s white supposedly represents a clergyman, Starr’s black a mourner, and Harrison’s denim a gravedigger).
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 July 2026
  • Robin, our hero, is the son of a country clergyman.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of clergyman
Noun
  • Additionally, costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones, who is also a Mauritian priestess, brought her expert-level knowledge of color and the spiritual culture to the costumes and set.
    — Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Women and girls in all corners of this world are accustomed to, and even expect, danger, including the priestess of Athena (Zendaya) whom Odysseus’ men behead during their sack of Troy.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026
Definition of priestess
Noun
  • This summer, archaeologists uncovered a 1,700-year-old Byzantine city in Egypt, complete with a church and a deacon's home.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Church deacons want it to be called Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, its previous name.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of deacon
Noun
  • Man of books and learning Several of the videos show Athanasius of Alexandria, a fourth-century bishop and theologian traditionally considered one of the church fathers.
    — Denva Gallant, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
  • Juan José Gerardi Conedera (born December 27, 1922, Guatemala City, Guatemala—killed April 26, 1998, Guatemala City) was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and human rights activist.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
Definition of bishop
Noun
  • This would be the case also for an apostate, heretic, schismatic bishop, presbyter, or deacon.
    — Fr. Goran Jovicic, National Review, 13 June 2021
  • Before coming to Birmingham, Webster had served 18 years as executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca in southern New Mexico.
    — Greg Garrison, AL.com, 19 July 2017
Definition of presbyter
Noun
  • The key to keeping your car in good shape and comfortable, according to Eligio Marquez, an associate dean of trade and industry at Palm Beach State College, is to stay on top of potential problems.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The meetings were first convened in November 2023 by LucasFilm pioneer Kathleen Kennedy and American Film Institute dean Susan Ruskin.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dean
Noun
  • Patterson, an ordained clergywoman with a background in healthcare, joined the Legislature via a special election in 2020.
    — oregonlive, oregonlive, 8 Nov. 2022
Definition of clergywoman
Noun
  • Meanwhile, churchmen claimed the authority to restrain violence, encouraged just wars and threatened violent behaviors with spiritual sanctions.
    — Joëlle Rollo-Koster, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Not all birth rituals depended on the intercession of a saint or the authority of a churchman.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of churchman

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Cite this Entry

“Deaconess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deaconess. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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