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pastor

n. · v.
US //ˈpæstɝ// UK //pˈɑːstɐ// pas·tor
  1. 1 church leader (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Religion

    a leader in a Christian church who gives advice and leads services.

    a minister or priest with spiritual charge over a specific congregation or group of people.

    Example

    The pastor gave a moving speech during the Sunday morning service.

    Example

    After the service, the pastor spent several hours visiting elderly members of the congregation who were unable to attend in person.
    • layperson
    • parishioner
  2. 2 shepherd (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    an old word for a person who looks after sheep.

    a person who tends a flock of animals, specifically a shepherd. This sense is largely restricted to historical or poetic contexts.

    Example

    In the old story, a lonely pastor watched his sheep on the hillside.

    Example

    The poet uses the image of the faithful pastor to represent a leader who protects his followers from harm.
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  1. 3 to lead a church (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Religion

    to work as the leader of a church group.

    to serve a congregation in the capacity of a pastor; to provide spiritual leadership and oversight.

    Example

    She has pastored this small community church for over twenty years.

    Example

    He felt a profound calling to pastor the urban congregation, despite the significant social and economic challenges the neighborhood faced.

    Usage

    Often used as an intransitive verb or with a direct object representing the congregation.
Origin

From Middle English pastour, from Old French pastor (Modern French pasteur), from Latin pāstor.

Word family

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