pastor

1 of 3

noun (1)

pas·​tor ˈpa-stər How to pronounce pastor (audio)
plural pastors
: a spiritual overseer
especially : a clergyperson serving a local church or parish
pastorship noun

pastor

2 of 3

verb

pastored; pastoring ˈpa-st(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce pastor (audio)

transitive verb

: to serve as pastor of
pastor a church

pastor

3 of 3

noun (2)

pas·​tor pä-ˈstȯr How to pronounce pastor (audio)
chiefly Southwestern US

Examples of pastor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The investigation was conducted by law firm Haynes Boone after the accusations against Gateway senior pastor and founder Robert Morris surfaced earlier this year. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024 World Relief organized a letter to the presidential candidates signed by evangelical Christian pastors and leaders from all 50 states. Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Lundqvist pastors an evangelical congregation in Uppsala, Sweden, called Word of Life Church, which has more than 3,200 members. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 July 2024 Donna Nez, who pastors the Hard Rock Community Church in northwest Arizona, also opposes the bill. Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for pastor 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pastor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pastor

Cite this Entry

“Pastor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastor. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pastor

noun
pas·​tor
ˈpas-tər
: a minister or priest in charge of a church or parish
pastorship
-ˌship
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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