noun
pastor
PAH-stuh
noun
1
A minister or priest who leads a church congregation.
"The pastor delivered a moving sermon on forgiveness."
"She has served as pastor of the same church for twenty years."
verb
1
To lead or minister to a congregation.
"He has pastored this small rural church since 1998."
How to Use Pastor
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA church leader, especially in Protestant traditions — think shepherd for a congregation of people rather than sheep.
Common pairings
senior pastor
youth pastor
pastor of a church
Word Forms
pastored past tense, pastors plural, pastors singular
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The _____ delivered a moving sermon on forgiveness.
Etymology
From Old French pastor, "shepherd," from Latin pastor — the religious sense grew out of the image of a pastor as a shepherd guiding a flock.