noun
chaplain
CHAP-lihn
noun
1
A clergy member or spiritual advisor formally attached to a school, hospital, prison, military unit, or similar institution rather than a church congregation.
"The hospital chaplain visits patients who want someone to talk to about faith or loss."
"An army chaplain travels with the troops to offer support wherever they are stationed."
2
A non-religious counsellor who provides similar pastoral or emotional support in a secular setting.
"Some universities now employ humanist chaplains for students who want guidance without religion."
How to Use Chaplain
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA spiritual or pastoral advisor attached to an organisation like a hospital, prison, or the military, rather than a regular church.
Common pairings
hospital chaplain
military chaplain
prison chaplain
school chaplain
Word Forms
chaplains plural, Chaplains plural
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The hospital _____ visits patients who want someone to talk to about faith or loss.
Etymology
From Middle English chapeleyn, via Old French chapelain, tracing back to Late Latin cappellanus — originally someone who cared for a saint's relic (cappella, "little cloak"), which also gave us the word "chapel."