1
: one that directs : leader
2
a
: a member of the clergy (as of the Protestant Episcopal Church) in charge of a parish
b
: an incumbent of a Church of England benefice in full possession of its rights
c
: a Roman Catholic priest directing a church with no pastor or one whose pastor has other duties
3
: the head of a university or school
Examples of rector in a Sentence
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As for the rector’s other housemates – a pair of scene-stealing dachshunds – Lewis is happily resigned to being upstaged.
—
Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
More than two dozen UVA Health leaders signed a letter to the university's rector and interim president, asking them to give Rosner the permanent position, the organization said in a news release.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Even the prolific scientist and inventor Benjamin Franklin, who would play a key role in both the American Revolution and the foundation of the new republic, took time out of a diplomatic trip to England to visit the intelligent rector.
—Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Believers from across the Chicago area came to visit the Pilgrim Mother, which was blessed by Monsignor Efraín Hernández Díaz, rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
—Paulina Czupryna, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
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Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
More than two dozen UVA Health leaders signed a letter to the university's rector and interim president, asking them to give Rosner the permanent position, the organization said in a news release.
—Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Even the prolific scientist and inventor Benjamin Franklin, who would play a key role in both the American Revolution and the foundation of the new republic, took time out of a diplomatic trip to England to visit the intelligent rector.
—Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Believers from across the Chicago area came to visit the Pilgrim Mother, which was blessed by Monsignor Efraín Hernández Díaz, rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
—Paulina Czupryna, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rector
Cite this Entry
“Rector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rector. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rector
noun
rec·tor
ˈrek-tər 
1
: a member of the clergy who has charge of a church or parish
2
: the priest in charge of certain Roman Catholic religious houses
3
: the head of a university or school
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