pastor

[ pas-ter, pah-ster ]

noun

1. a minister or priest in charge of a church.
2. a person having spiritual care of a number of persons.
3. Ornithology. any of various starlings, especially Sturnus roseus rosy pastor of Europe and Asia.

verb (used with object)

1. to serve as the pastor of:

   He pastored the church here for many years.

pastor

/ ˈpɑːstə /

noun

1. a clergyman or priest in charge of a congregation
2. a person who exercises spiritual guidance over a number of people
3. an archaic word for shepherd
4. Also calledrosy pastor a S Asian starling, Sturnus roseus, having glossy black head and wings and a pale pink body

pastor

1. In some groups of Christians (see also Christian ), the clergyman in charge of an individual congregation. The term is used this way in the Lutheran Church and Roman Catholic Church and, to a lesser extent, by Baptists and in the Protestant Episcopal Church .

Derived Forms

• ˈpastorˌship, noun

Other Words From

• pastor·less adjective
• pastor·like pastor·ly adjective
• sub·pastor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pastor¹

1325–75; < Latin pāstor shepherd, literally, feeder, equivalent to pās-, base of pāscere to put to pasture, feed + -tor -tor; replacing Middle English pastour < Anglo-French

Word History and Origins

Origin of pastor¹

C14: from Latin: shepherd, from pascere to feed

Example Sentences

“But he also keeps his promises. ... I’m not looking for a pastor in chief. I’m looking for a bodyguard for Western civilization.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It was only my father, my brother-in-law and our pastor who went in and put him in the coffin."

From BBC

Getting messages about who to vote for from your pastor or faith leader, who you trust, is much more effective than getting that message from a stranger.

From Salon

My husband also set off in pursuit of his degree — a four-year leadership and ministry program to become a pastor.

From Salon

The pastor of the church says those visits gave him some optimism that America’s divisions could be overcome.

From BBC

Related Words

• cleric
• minister
• preacher
• priest
• rector
• vicar