1
a
: the head of the chapter of a collegiate or cathedral church
b
: a Roman Catholic priest who supervises one district of a diocese
2
a
: 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
dean
intransitive verb
Examples of dean in a Sentence
She's the dean of the university's business school.
the dean of liberal arts
Recent Examples on the Web
The group’s chair, Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney specialist who was a former dean at the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school, said in an interview that his organization had worked with the Trump administration and that threats of funding cuts were key to the effort.
—
Azeen Ghorayshi, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
The shows are also considered a powerful symbol of Puerto Rican self-reliance and the belief that the US territory can stand tall on its own, says Javier J. Hernández Acosta, dean of the School of Arts, Design and Creative Industries at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
Sandoval, 44, was dean of students at Agape Boarding School in Cedar County and later the director of Lighthouse Christian Academy in Wayne County.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2025
Bundy will retire as dean in June 2026 after two decades in the role, and a new search committee is in the process of finding a successor.
3.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
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Azeen Ghorayshi, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
The shows are also considered a powerful symbol of Puerto Rican self-reliance and the belief that the US territory can stand tall on its own, says Javier J. Hernández Acosta, dean of the School of Arts, Design and Creative Industries at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
Sandoval, 44, was dean of students at Agape Boarding School in Cedar County and later the director of Lighthouse Christian Academy in Wayne County.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2025
Bundy will retire as dean in June 2026 after two decades in the role, and a new search committee is in the process of finding a successor.
3.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dean
Cite this Entry
“Dean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dean. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dean
noun1
: the head of the chapter of a cathedral church
2
a
: the head of a division, faculty, college, or school of a university
b
: a college or secondary school administrator in charge of counseling or disciplining students
3
: the senior member of a group
the dean of the diplomatic corps
Biographical Definition
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