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
In both the book and the movie, Bellini and the dean are friends and allies.
—
Eric Andersson, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024
But taking any supplement for better sleep without addressing your overall sleep habits won’t necessarily help, said Rick Bloomer, PhD, dean and professor at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Memphis.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2024
Two years ago, she was named dean of the University of Maryland’s College of Arts and Humanities.
—Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2024
The historic building was once home to Eero Saarinen, whose father was the dean of the school, and served as a place of learning for design legends Florence Knoll, Charles and Ray Eames, and more.
—Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dean 
Eric Andersson, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024
But taking any supplement for better sleep without addressing your overall sleep habits won’t necessarily help, said Rick Bloomer, PhD, dean and professor at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Memphis.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2024
Two years ago, she was named dean of the University of Maryland’s College of Arts and Humanities.
—Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2024
The historic building was once home to Eero Saarinen, whose father was the dean of the school, and served as a place of learning for design legends Florence Knoll, Charles and Ray Eames, and more.
—Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dean
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dean
Cite this Entry
“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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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