preacherpreach‧er /ˈpriːtʃə $ -ər/ ●○○ noun [countable] 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- As a military leader, the prophet Joshua knew the importance of engaging the enemy, the preacher continues.
- For years marginal radio stations paid the rent with late-night or Sunday-morning preacher shows, which they aired for cash up front.
- He was born in Limavady in 1839, the son of a Methodist preacher, William Guard.
- The preacher turned his volume up.
- There are so many great preachers there.
- They could have been greengrocers, insurance salesmen, buggy repairmen, schoolteachers, congressmen or even preachers as much as criminals.
- They give point to the cries of the preachers for repentance, conversion, and return to the old religion.
- Vanity, all is vanity, saith the preacher.
THESAURUS► priest
Collocations someone who is specially trained to perform religious duties and ceremonies in the Christian church: · a Catholic priest· a Buddhist priest· Women priests are much more common these days.· The priest who married us was very friendly and helpful.
► bishop a priest of high rank in some branches of the Christian church, who is the head of all the churches and priests in a large area: · the Bishop of Oxford· a meeting of bishops
► vicar a priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a church in a particular area: · our local vicar
► preacher someone who gives the sermon (=a religious talk as part of a church service) in some Protestant churches: · a Methodist preacher
► minister the formal word for any priest in some branches of the Christian church: · In 1843, 450 ministers of the church broke away from the established church of Scotland.
► chaplain someone, especially a priest, who takes care of the religious needs of an organization such as a college, hospital, prison, or the military: · the prison chaplain
► pastor American English someone who is in charge of the prayers, ceremonies etc in some branches of the Protestant church: · a Baptist pastor
► rabbi the person who is in charge of the prayers, ceremonies etc in the Jewish religion: · Israel’s chief rabbis
► mullah a Muslim teacher of law and religion: · The people turned to their traditional leaders, the mullahs.
► holy man someone who is treated with great respect by people who belong to a religion: · A Sadhu, or Hindu holy man, was performing yoga on the banks of the River Ganges.
► the clergy the official leaders in organized religions, such as the priests, rabbis, and mullahs: · Around 30 members of the clergy gathered for the meeting.
► clergyman a male member of the clergy – used especially in the past: · His youngest son decided to become a clergyman.
WORD SETS► Religionacolyte, nounafterlife, nounagnostic, nounangel, nounanimism, nounanoint, verbapostasy, nounapostate, nounarchangel, nounbelieve, verbbeliever, nounbell-ringer, nounbless, verbblessed, adjectiveblessing, nouncelebrant, nounChristian Science, nouncircumcise, verbcircumcision, nouncommunion, nounconfession, nounconvent, nounconversion, nounconvert, nouncoreligionist, nouncowl, nouncredo, nouncreed, nouncult, noundaemon, nounDecalogue, noundefrock, verbdeism, noundenomination, noundenominational, adjectivedevotee, noundevotion, noundevotional, adjectivedevout, adjectivedivine, adjectivedivinity, noundruid, nounfaith, nounfast day, nounfeast, nounfervour, nounfiesta, nounfollow, verbfrankincense, noungentile, noungod, noungoddess, noungrace, nounhabit, nounhair shirt, nounhallelujah, interjectionhallowed, adjectivehalo, nounheathen, adjectiveheathen, nounheaven, nounheavenly, adjectivehell, nounheresy, nounheretic, nounhermit, nounhermitage, nounheterodox, adjectivehigh priest, nounidol, nounidolatry, nounincarnation, nounincense, nouninfidel, nounintercession, nouninvocation, nouninvoke, verbirreligious, adjective-ism, suffixlayman, nounlaywoman, nounlibation, nounliturgical, adjectiveliturgy, nounmartyr, nounmartyr, verbmeditate, verbmeditation, nounmission, nounmonastery, nounmonastic, adjectivemonk, nounmonotheism, nounMoonie, nounMormon, nounMosaic, adjectivemystery play, nounmystic, nounmystical, adjectivemysticism, nounneophyte, nounnovice, nounnovitiate, nounnuminous, adjectivenun, nounnunnery, nounoblation, nounobservance, nounoffering, nounOlympian, adjectiveordain, verborder, nounorthodox, adjectiveotherworldly, adjectivepagan, adjectivepagan, nounpantheism, nounpantheon, nounParsee, nounpilgrim, nounpilgrimage, nounpious, adjectivepluralism, nounpolytheism, nounpractise, verbpray, verbprayer, nounprayer wheel, nounpreach, verbpreacher, nounpriest, nounpriestess, nounpriesthood, nounpriestly, adjectiveprophet, nounprophetess, nounpurify, verbRasta, nounRastafarian, nounRastaman, nounRE, nounrecant, verbreincarnation, nounreligious, adjectivereligiously, adverbreliquary, nounrepent, verbretreat, nounrevelation, nounrevivalism, nounrite, nounritual, nounsacred, adjectivesacrifice, nounsacrifice, verbsacrificial, adjectivesanctify, verbsanctity, nounsanctuary, nounsanctum, nounsatanism, nounscripture, nounsect, nounsectarian, adjectiveservice, nounshaman, nounShinto, nounshrine, nounsin, nounsin, verbsinful, adjectivesinner, nounsoul, nounspirit, nounspiritual, adjectivespiritualism, nounspirituality, nounSr, sun god, nounsuppliant, nounsupplicant, nounsupplication, nounSupreme Being, nounTao, nounTaoism, nountemple, nountenet, nounthanksgiving, nountheism, nountheo-, prefixtheocracy, nountheologian, nountheological college, nountheology, nountonsure, nountranscendental, adjectivetranscendental meditation, nountransmigration, noununbelief, noununbeliever, nounungodly, adjectiveunholy, adjectiveunorthodox, adjectivevisionary, nounvoodoo, nounvotary, nounworship, verbworship, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► lay
someone who talks about a religious subject in a public place, especially at a church· Nonni was the daughter of a prosperous dealer in scrap metal who had also been a lay preacher.· A non-conformist lay preacher, he fought the November byelection.· A lay preacher, his house was the meeting-place of a gathered church by 1649.· Many of its earlier leaders were lay preachers who entered politics in order to apply their religious ideals in practical ways.· Les was a bit of a lay preacher, but did not push his views on anyone.
► local· The Teesside-born star trained as a Methodist local preacher when he was a teenager in Middlesbrough, but is now an atheist.
VERB► become· But one way of making your mark was to become a preacher.· From boyhood he worked on local farms and became an itinerant Methodist preacher.· Enjoying better health than for many years, he was able to become an active preacher.· Some of these were also converted through Baxter's ministry and became preachers themselves.· Perhaps I was wrong to become a preacher.