reverend
1 of 2adjective
rev·er·end ˈrev-rənd 
ˈre-və-;
ˈre-vərnd
1
: worthy of reverence : revered
2
a
: of or relating to the clergy
b
: being a member of the clergy —used as a title
the Reverend Mr. Doethe Reverend John Doethe Reverend Mrs. Jane Doe
reverend
2 of 2noun
: a member of the clergy —sometimes used in plural as a title
Synonyms
Adjective
- hallowed
- revered
- sacred
- venerable
- venerated
Noun
- clergyperson
- cleric
- clerical
- clerk
- deacon
- divine
- dominie
- ecclesiastic
- minister
- preacher
- priest
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective our reverend elders should be accorded a special place of honor at the ceremonies Noun called their reverend and asked if he could marry them next June
Recent Examples on the Web
Grace Gavilanes, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2022 There before the reverend mother and God, the police (wielding rifles) and the butchers (wielding a cow trailer) managed to corral two of the steers. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2022 Dickens was a great admirer of a reverend philosopher of that name, often carrying around a copy of Smith's Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Feb. 2022 Gabrielle Olya, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 Grey Lesesne, a reverend at an Episcopal Christian church in Indianapolis, said that this bill would harm many of his congregants. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 25 July 2022 For the past decade, the reverend at Sausalito’s Christ Episcopal Church has lived with his husband in a home provided by his congregation. Lauren Hepler, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 July 2022 The reverend is right that tone matters incredibly. NBC News, 15 May 2022 Before coming to Congress, Warnock, who is a reverend, served as the pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. once held the same role. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022 Tuesday's winner will face off with Democratic candidate Will Boyd, a reverend and previous Senate hopeful, in November. Rick Klein, ABC News, 21 June 2022 In the wake of the shooting, Eugene Chang, the youngest son of the reverend, worked with several other adult children of churchgoers to organize a GoFundMe page to raise money for the victims and their families. Claire Wang, NBC News, 17 May 2022 The reverend and her team came up with the idea of the spiritual care cart. Byalex Stone, ABC News, 13 May 2022 See More
Adjective
No one was a better fit for the job to officiate Richie and Madden's 2010 wedding than the Run DMC frontman, who is a reverend IRL. Grace Gavilanes, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2022 There before the reverend mother and God, the police (wielding rifles) and the butchers (wielding a cow trailer) managed to corral two of the steers. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2022 Dickens was a great admirer of a reverend philosopher of that name, often carrying around a copy of Smith's Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Feb. 2022 Noun
The reverend, 60, has gone through several body transformations throughout the years, first losing 30 lbs. Gabrielle Olya, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 Grey Lesesne, a reverend at an Episcopal Christian church in Indianapolis, said that this bill would harm many of his congregants. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 25 July 2022 For the past decade, the reverend at Sausalito’s Christ Episcopal Church has lived with his husband in a home provided by his congregation. Lauren Hepler, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 July 2022 The reverend is right that tone matters incredibly. NBC News, 15 May 2022 Before coming to Congress, Warnock, who is a reverend, served as the pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. once held the same role. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022 Tuesday's winner will face off with Democratic candidate Will Boyd, a reverend and previous Senate hopeful, in November. Rick Klein, ABC News, 21 June 2022 In the wake of the shooting, Eugene Chang, the youngest son of the reverend, worked with several other adult children of churchgoers to organize a GoFundMe page to raise money for the victims and their families. Claire Wang, NBC News, 17 May 2022 The reverend and her team came up with the idea of the spiritual care cart. Byalex Stone, ABC News, 13 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin reverendus, gerundive of reverērī "to stand in awe of, revere entry 1"
Noun
derivative of reverend entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1608, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
reverend
adjective
rev·er·end ˈre-və-rənd
ˈrev-rənd
1
: worthy of honor and respect
2
—used as a title for a member of the clergy
the Reverend John Doethe Reverend Jane Doe
reverends
noun
as in priests
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church called their reverend and asked if he could marry them next June Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- priests
- preachers
- clergymen
- deacons
- pastors
- clerics
- ministers
- bishops
- clericals
- prelates
- divines
- ecclesiastics
- chaplains
- fathers
- clerks
- dominies
- popes
- missionaries
- churchmen
- clergypersons
- priestesses
- archbishops
- monks
- monsignors
- parsons
- presbyters
- vicars
- abbots
- deans
- rectors
- religious
- deaconesses
- confessors
- clergywomen
- padres
- evangelists
- curés
- mendicants
- revivalists
- archpriests
- diocesans
- missioners
- friars
- shepherds
- curates
- oblates
- monastics
- monsignori
- abbés
- Holy Joes
- sky pilots
- missionizers
- high priests
- high priestesses
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- laymen
- laypeople
- secular
- seculars
- lay readers
- lectors