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
The dean of the Kennedy School issued a statement distancing himself from the talk.
—
Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Cardinal Re picked to lead prayer vigil on Wednesday
The dean of the College of Cardinals, meanwhile, was designated to lead the Vatican’s prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday night, thrusting a key figure in any future possible conclave into the spotlight.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Lauren Smith is dean of the Hamilton Holt School or Professional Advancement and Graduate Studies at Rollins College.
—Lauren Smith, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025
Mark Stoops, Kentucky, 13th year Stoops, the dean of SEC coaches, earned a lot of credibility in Lexington for making Kentucky a competitive and gritty team.
—Seth Emerson, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
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Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Cardinal Re picked to lead prayer vigil on Wednesday
The dean of the College of Cardinals, meanwhile, was designated to lead the Vatican’s prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday night, thrusting a key figure in any future possible conclave into the spotlight.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Lauren Smith is dean of the Hamilton Holt School or Professional Advancement and Graduate Studies at Rollins College.
—Lauren Smith, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025
Mark Stoops, Kentucky, 13th year Stoops, the dean of SEC coaches, earned a lot of credibility in Lexington for making Kentucky a competitive and gritty team.
—Seth Emerson, The Athletic, 24 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 9 Mar. 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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