dean

noun

(Roman Catholic Church) the head of the College of Cardinals

a man who is the senior member of a group

United States film actor whose moody rebellious roles made him a cult figure (1931-1955)

an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college

Roots

decanusdean- · Latin · leader of ten

Synonyms for dean

subdean doyenn provostn rectorn headmastern prexyn chancellorn presidentn headmistressn doyennen

Synonyms & related words for dean

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of dean — including subdean, doyen, provost, rector, headmaster, prexy. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to dean

Explore words related to dean — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include ruridecanal, subdeanery, subdecanal, deanship, deanery, decanal, provostship, prorector. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for dean

Common synonyms for dean include subdean, doyen, provost, rector, headmaster, prexy, chancellor, president — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does dean come from?

The word dean breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root dean-, from Latin decanus (“leader of ten”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.