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dean

noun
\ ˈdēn How to pronounce dean (audio) \

Definition of dean

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the head of the chapter of a collegiate or cathedral church
b : a Roman Catholic priest who supervises one district of a diocese
2a : the head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university
b : a college or secondary school administrator in charge of counseling and disciplining students
3 : doyen sense 1

Dean

biographical name
\ ˈdēn How to pronounce Dean (audio) \

Definition of Dean (Entry 2 of 2)

Sir Patrick 1909–1994 British diplomat
Other Words from dean Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about dean

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Other Words from dean

Noun

dean intransitive verb
deanship \ ˈdēn-​ˌship How to pronounce deanship (audio) \ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for dean

Synonyms: Noun

doyen, elder, elder statesman, éminence grise, nestor, senior

Antonyms: Noun

baby, junior

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Examples of dean in a Sentence

Noun

 She's the dean of the university's business school. the dean of liberal arts

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 The charges against Strampel stemmed from his actions as dean from 2002 to 2018, as well as his failure to properly oversee Nassar, according to court documents. — Eric Levenson, CNN, "Michigan State University is fined a record $4.5 million for the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal," 5 Sep. 2019 Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is the senior associate dean at the Yale School of Management. — Fortune, "Energy Companies Have the Power to Act on Social Purpose," 5 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dean.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of dean

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for dean

Noun

Middle English deen, from Anglo-French deen, deien, from Late Latin decanus chief of ten, from Greek dekanos, from deka ten — more at ten

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More Definitions for dean

dean

noun
How to pronounce Dean (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of dean

: a person who is in charge of one of the parts of a university (such as a college or school)
: a person whose job is to give advice to the students in a college or high school and to make sure that they obey the school's rules
US : a person who has more experience in or knowledge about a particular profession, subject, etc., than anyone or almost anyone

See the full definition for dean in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dean

noun
\ ˈdēn How to pronounce dean (audio) \

Kids Definition of dean

1 : a church official in charge of a cathedral
2 : the head of a section (as a college) of a university the dean of the medical school
3 : an official in charge of students or studies in a school or college the dean of women

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More from Merriam-Webster on dean

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with dean

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dean

Spanish Central: Translation of dean

Nglish: Translation of dean for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of dean for Arabic Speakers

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