deacon

noun

dea·​con ˈdē-kən 

plural deacons

: a subordinate officer in a Christian church: such as

a

: a Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Orthodox cleric ranking next below a priest

b

: one of the laity elected by a church with congregational polity to serve in worship, in pastoral care, and on administrative committees

c

: a Mormon in the lowest grade of the Aaronic priesthood

Synonyms

• clergyperson
• cleric
• clerical
• clerk
• divine
• dominie
• ecclesiastic
• minister
• preacher
• priest
• reverend

Examples of deacon in a Sentence

my cousin was married by his uncle, who is also a deacon in his church

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier in the year LaBeouf was confirmed into the Catholic Church with intentions of becoming a deacon. —Arimeta Diop, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024

Feulner came from a devout Roman Catholic family, while Weyrich himself was an ordained deacon of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. —Samantha Riedel, Them, 1 Nov. 2024

There was Ray, the crematorium’s successful owner; Clara, a demanding high-school English teacher; their daughter, who is not named in the series; and their son, Brent, a deacon in training who’d played football in high school and college. —Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Like many Black artists, going to church was routine for her family and played a significant role in her life, with her parents being a deacon and deaconess. —Danielle Wright, Essence, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dekene, from Old English dēacon, from Late Latin diaconus, from Greek diakonos, literally, servant, from dia- + -konos (akin to enkonein to be active); perhaps akin to Latin conari to attempt

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deacon

• deacon's bench

Kids Definition

deacon

noun

dea·​con ˈdē-kən 

1

: a member of the Christian clergy next below a priest

2

: a church member in various Christian churches who has special duties