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
Noun
The couple had family, friends, their pastor and local business owners attest to their commitment as parents. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Hamilton pastor Diane Mullins is challenging incumbent Rep. Sara Carruthers for the District 47 seat. Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 There will be a new face on the Texas State Board of Education after Brandon Hall, a 27-year-old pastor from Parker County, defeated incumbent Pat Hardy in the District 11 Republican primary. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 The other candidates, who have received little attention, were Florida businessman David Stuckenberg and Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley, who recently ended his campaign. Jack Dura, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 The afternoon began with pastors Darron L. Edwards and Emanuel Cleaver III praying for healing in a time of mourning in the Kansas City community. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2024 There was also a food market and lounge area designed by Pina and Vicente, set up for late-night snacks such as tacos al pastor and quesadillas. Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 The latest Russian attack on the town of Kupiansk on February 28 killed two civilians, including a local pastor, and wounded five other persons. Katya Soldak, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Willow Creek Community Church experiences a crisis following allegations of misconduct against its founding pastor, Bill Hybels, prompting discussions about leadership accountability within the megachurch community. Catherine Baab-Muguira, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
Donna Nez, who pastors the Hard Rock Community Church in northwest Arizona, also opposes the bill. Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023 My call there is to work hard to pastor it as a parish, but also to send out the message of the unity of the church of all parishes under the archbishop. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2023 During the pandemic, Dwight Mosley, who pastors a church in neighboring DeSoto County, helped run a drive-thru food pantry at an arena in Tunica County where long lines of cars showed how many families were overwhelmed. Bracey Harris, NBC News, 19 July 2023 Kirchharr later left the company to pastor a church, and Dustin Kilgore, a former Monroeville firefighter who had learned the ropes from Kirchharr, became the production manager. Bob Carlton | Bcarlton@al.com, al, 6 Oct. 2021 Two Norwegian couples heading the San Pedro site returned home earlier this year, and Berg, who had arrived from Norway in the summer of 2019 to pastor a sister church in San Francisco, now splits his time between the two locales. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pastor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 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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