dean

noun

ˈdēn How to pronounce dean (audio)
Definition of deannext
as in elder
the senior member of a group the dean of the Aspen ski instructors oversaw the training of the rescue team

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dean Carnegie Mellon University’s Miami campus has its founding dean. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026 John Cairney is the dean of the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan. — Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Leadership at the university turned over last year, with the president, the dean of students and the director of Greek life all departing. — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Parolin, who had been Francis' top deputy but remains in the job, was considered a leading contender in the conclave that elected Leo and was recently passed over as dean of the College of Cardinals. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dean
  1. elder
  2. veteran
  3. doyen
  4. elder statesman
  5. senior
Noun
  • The Nordic communal goal is a focus on holistic well-being that can be sustained over the long term by every individual, from professional athletes in their prime to elders.
    — Lola Akinmade, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond absorbing his elders’ influences, LaFarge’s schoolmates were also impactful.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of elder
Noun
  • The ceremony also marked the return of Japanese industry veteran Takeo Hisamatsu as festival director, following the departure of former chairman Hiroyasu Ando earlier this year.
    — Gavin Blair, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Athens, Georgia, jam-band veterans will close out 2026 with two Charlotte performances, including a New Year’s Eve concert.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of veteran
Noun
  • One of the doyens of Portuguese coaching, who has managed each of the big three in their home country and led Al Hilal to the title in 2023-24 after a 34-game unbeaten streak, was personally convinced by Ronaldo to cross the divide.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 21 May 2026
  • Back home in Budapest, fellow academics and foreign diplomats marvel at the doyen of Hungarian foreign policy who doesn’t speak Hungarian.
    — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of doyen
Noun
  • Yesterday’s punk, grunge, and rebel-outsider upstarts have an uncanny way of evolving into today’s elder statesmen of respectable infamy.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The squad’s elder statesmen set standards on the pitch and in the dressing room to help their more junior colleagues along their journey.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of elder statesman
Noun
  • Head coach Joey Carroll, now in his third season, credits the team's success to a committed group of seniors and a consistent message from the coaching staff.
    — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Star athletes at Lyons, seniors Avery Lee and Jack Lee are not teammates, never interact on the playing field and rarely watch each other’s games.
    — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of senior

Browse Nearby Words

deal (with)
dean
deans
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dean. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All