Pastor Meaning
/ˈpɑː.stə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounSomeone who tends to a flock of animals: synonym of shepherd.
nounSomeone with spiritual authority over a group of people., A minister or priest in a church.
Sentence Examples
The girl, closing her eyes, listened to the pastor.
A man shouldn't be a pastor until he's in his forties.
He was ordained a pastor in the Lutheran Church.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ preached to the congregation about forgiveness on Sunday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ visited every family in the congregation during the holiday season to offer blessings.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English pastour, from Old French pastor (Modern French pasteur), from Latin pāstor.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The pastor told CNN on Tuesday that no members of his megachurch have contracted the virus. MacArthur also said he doubted the accuracy of California’s coronavirus numbers. […] Most of the pastors who have bucked the rules are fringe figures in American Christianity."
— 2020 August 12, Daniel Burke, “California church defies public health orders, holds indoor services for thousands with no social distancing”, in CNN:
"Agricultural officers have put it on record that the pastor must on balance be considered beneficial on account of the vast quantities of locusts which it destroys."
— 1944, Country Life, volume 95, page 820:
"As they pastored churches in Georgia and Texas, they supported talented black politicians who were unable to win statewide office."
— 2009 January 21, Shaila Dewan, “Epic Campaign Divided Family, Then United It”, in New York Times:
"“A joyride gone terribly wrong,” Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said during a news conference in Steilacoom, which is about 3 miles from the island."
— 2018 August 10, Paige Cornwell, Agueda Pacheco-Flores, “Airplane taken from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has crashed”, in The Seattle Times, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2018:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ preached to the congregation about forgiveness on Sunday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ visited every family in the congregation during the holiday season to offer blessings.