A dean is an important official at a university or college.
She was Dean of the Science faculty at Sophia University. [+ of]
2. countable noun
A dean is a priest who is the main administrator of a large church.
...Alan Webster, former Dean of St Paul's. [+ of]
3. countable noun [usually with supplement]
The dean of a group is the most important member of that group.
[mainly US]
More Synonyms of dean
dean in British English
(diːn)
noun
1.
the chief administrative official of a college or university faculty
2.
(at Oxford and Cambridge universities) a college fellow with responsibility for undergraduate discipline
3. mainly Church of England
the head of a chapter of canons and administrator of a cathedral or collegiate church
4. Roman Catholic Church
the cardinal bishop senior by consecration and head of the college of cardinals
See also rural dean ▶ Related adjective: decanal
Derived forms
deanship (ˈdeanˌship)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French deien, from Late Latin decānus one set over ten persons, from Latin decem ten
Dean in British English1
(diːn)
noun
Forest of Dean
Dean in British English2
(diːn)
noun
1. Christopher. See Torvill and Dean
2.
James (Byron). 1931–55, US film actor, who became a cult figure; his films include East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause (both 1955). He died in a car crash
Dean in American English
(din)
noun
a masculine name
dean in American English
(din)
noun
1.
a.
the presiding official of a cathedral or collegiate church
b. Roman CatholicChurch
a priest chosen by his bishop to supervise a number of parishes within the diocese
2. US
an official of a school, college, or university, esp. one in charge of students, faculty, or a division of studies
3.
a.
the senior member of a particular group
b.
an experienced and preeminent member of a group
the dean of American poets
Derived forms
deanship (ˈdeanˌship)
noun
Word origin
ME den < OFr deien, dean < LL(Ec) decanus, chief of ten monks < LL(Ec), leader of ten < L decem, ten
Examples of 'dean' in a sentence
dean
He froze the frame, then amplified the image until the dean 's lean, angular face filled the screen.
Stewart, Michael COMPULSION
`Because she told the dean who was interviewing her that the college and governing body system was corrupt and doomed.
Murray, Stephen DEATH AND TRANSFIGURATION
In other languages
dean
British English: dean NOUN
A dean is an important official at a university or college.
She was Dean of the Science faculty.
American English: dean
Brazilian Portuguese: decano
Chinese: > 学院院长大学的
European Spanish: decano
French: doyen
German: Dekan
Italian: preside di facoltà {or} di college
Japanese: 学部長
Korean: 학장
European Portuguese: decano
Latin American Spanish: decano
All related terms of 'dean'
rural dean
a cleric having authority over a group of parishes
academic dean
a high-ranking academic official who oversees all the major academic operations including curriculum , workloads , and faculty budgets
dean's list
a list of students achieving the highest grades , periodically issued at certain colleges
dean of guild
the titular head of the guild or merchant company in a Scots burgh , who formerly exercised jurisdiction over all building in the burgh in the Dean of Guild Court
Forest of Dean
a forest in W England, in Gloucestershire , between the Rivers Severn and Wye : formerly a royal hunting ground
Dean of Faculty
the president of the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland
Torvill and Dean
two British ice dancers, Jayne Torvill , born 1957, and Christopher Dean , born 1958. They won the world championships in 1981–84, the European championships in 1981–82, 1984, and 1994, and the gold medal in the 1984 Olympic Games
Chinese translation of 'dean'
dean
(diːn)
n(c)
[of church, cathedral]教长(長) (jiàozhǎng)
(Brit)[of university, college]系主任 (xìzhǔrèn)
(US)[of school, college]教务(務)长(長) (jiàowùzhǎng)
(noun)
Definition
the chief administrative official of a college or university faculty
dean of the faculty
Synonyms
faculty head
director
He is the director of the unit.
principal
the principal of the local high school
provost
head of department
department head
head of faculty
related words
related adjectivedecanal
Additional synonyms
in the sense of director
Definition
a member of the governing board of a business, trust, etc.
He is the director of the unit.
Synonyms
controller,
head,
leader,
manager,
chief,
executive,
chairperson,
boss (informal),
producer,
governor,
principal,
administrator,
supervisor,
organizer,
helmer,
sherang (Australian, New Zealand)
in the sense of principal
Definition
the head of a school or other educational institution