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
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
John Cranfield, interim dean of the University of Guelph's agricultural college, added that empty shelves could lead customers to shop with competitors.
—
Ayana Archie, NPR, 13 Feb. 2025
Smith, also a defendant in the pending lawsuit against UNCSA, stepped down from his position as music dean the year after Shipps’ departure.
—Sara Coello, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2025
Wonder Drake is a professor of medicine and senior associate dean of faculty affairs at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
—Wonder Drake, Baltimore Sun, 2 Feb. 2025
The other two finalists in the presidential search are Michael Hartline, the dean of the College of Business at Florida State University, and John Volin, executive vice president and provost at the University of Maine.
—Jessica Abramsky, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
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Ayana Archie, NPR, 13 Feb. 2025
Smith, also a defendant in the pending lawsuit against UNCSA, stepped down from his position as music dean the year after Shipps’ departure.
—Sara Coello, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2025
Wonder Drake is a professor of medicine and senior associate dean of faculty affairs at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
—Wonder Drake, Baltimore Sun, 2 Feb. 2025
The other two finalists in the presidential search are Michael Hartline, the dean of the College of Business at Florida State University, and John Volin, executive vice president and provost at the University of Maine.
—Jessica Abramsky, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
Cite this Entry
“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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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