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

Days before the election, church deacons voted to oust their pastor for finally supporting the admission of a Black worshiper. —Bill Marsh, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

For instance, the Catholic Church doesn't permit a woman to be a priest or a deacon. —Marianne Schnall, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

Because everyone under the Roman Empire’s rule was heading to their villages of origin for the count, inns along the way were at capacity, says Bob Solis, a Catholic deacon who came from the Phoenix area to volunteer at the posada. —Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Dec. 2024

The volunteers met seafarers from India, the Philippines, Turkey and elsewhere, said Ricard Rodríguez-Martos, a Catholic deacon and former merchant marine captain who leads Stella Maris in this major Mediterranean harbor. —Jalal Bwaitel, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 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