noun
Common
dean
deen
Dean (noun) means a senior official at a university or college, often heading a faculty or overseeing student affairs. Example: “The dean of the law school opened the ceremony.”
noun
1
A senior official at a university or college, often heading a faculty or overseeing student affairs.
"The dean of the law school opened the ceremony."
"Students with grievances could appeal to the dean."
"The dean announced new rules about how students could request extensions."
2
A senior clergy member in charge of a cathedral chapter, ranking below a bishop.
"The dean led the service in the bishop's absence."
"The dean of the cathedral welcomed pilgrims at the west door."
"A new dean was appointed to look after the cathedral and its clergy."
3
The most senior or longest-serving member of a group.
"As the dean of the orchestra, she had played under every conductor the group had hired."
"The oldest player in the league was known as the dean of the squad."
"He was the dean of the press corps, having covered the White House for thirty years."
How to use dean
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA senior academic or church official, or the most senior/experienced member of a group.
Common pairings
dean of students
cathedral dean
dean of the faculty
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Word forms
- Plural
- deans
- Third person singular
- deans
- Past tense
- deaned
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The _____ of the law school opened the ceremony.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman deen, ultimately from Latin decanus (originally "head of ten"), a doublet of the word doyen.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for dean
See all rhymes for dean →Frequently asked questions
What does “dean” mean?
The word “dean” means a senior official at a university or college, often heading a faculty or overseeing student affairs. In plain terms, a senior academic or church official, or the most senior/experienced member of a group.
How do you pronounce “dean”?
“Dean” is pronounced deen (/diːn/ in IPA).
How do you use “dean” in a sentence?
Here is “dean” used in a sentence: “The dean of the law school opened the ceremony.”
What part of speech is “dean”?
“Dean” is a noun.
Where does the word “dean” come from?
The word “dean” comes from Latin. From Anglo-Norman deen, ultimately from Latin decanus (originally "head of ten"), a doublet of the word doyen.
Is “dean” a common word?
“Dean” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “dean” have?
“Dean” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a senior official at a university or college, often heading a faculty or overseeing student affairs.
What does a dean do?
A dean is a senior official at a university or college who typically heads a faculty or school, or oversees an area of student life. Duties often include leading academic staff, setting policy, managing budgets, upholding standards, and handling student affairs such as admissions, discipline, and welfare within their part of the institution.
What is the difference between a dean and a professor?
A professor is a senior teacher and researcher focused on a subject area. A dean is an administrative leader who heads a whole faculty or oversees student affairs. Many deans are also professors, but the role of dean is chiefly about management and leadership rather than teaching or research.
What is the difference between a dean and a provost?
A dean usually leads a single faculty, school, or area such as student affairs. A provost is a higher, institution-wide officer, often the chief academic officer overseeing all the deans. In short, the provost sits above the deans in the academic hierarchy of a university.
What are the types of dean?
Common types include the dean of a faculty or college who leads its academic departments, the dean of students who oversees student welfare and conduct, and the dean of admissions. Some institutions also have an academic dean or dean of research, each responsible for a defined slice of university life.
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