pastor

1 of 3

noun (1)

pas·​tor ˈpa-stər 

plural pastors

: a spiritual overseer

especially : a clergyperson serving a local church or parish

pastorship

ˈpa-stər-ˌship 

noun

pastor

2 of 3

verb

pastored; pastoring ˈpa-st(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to serve as pastor of

pastor a church

pastor

3 of 3

noun (2)

pas·​tor pä-ˈstȯr 

chiefly Southwestern US

: herdsman

Examples of pastor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

According to Deadline Hollywood, which first reported the news, Hudson will portray Reverend Peters, a Baptist pastor at the head of a prominent Boston law enforcement dynasty that includes his daughter, District Attorney Mae Silver, and his granddaughter, Det. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 May 2025

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, a Catholic parish in Logan Heights that has served immigrant peoples for its 100-year existence, where I am humbled to serve as its pastor, has entered as one of five plaintiffs in a suit against the federal government’s immigration agencies. —Scott Santarosa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2025

Verb

Howell, who also pastors The Rock at Stony Point Church, said the center has been at its current home for the past decade. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2025

Musk was not hired to pastor a church or run a counseling center. —Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English pastour, from Anglo-French, from Latin pastor herdsman, from pascere to feed — more at food

Noun (2)

Spanish, from Latin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1623, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pastor

• aster
• blaster
• caster
• castor
• faster
• gaster
• laster
• master
• paster
• plaster
• raster
• vaster

Kids Definition

pastor

noun

pas·​tor

ˈpas-tər

: a minister or priest in charge of a church or parish

pastorship

-ˌship

noun