Dominees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Plural form of a clergyman in certain Protestant churches who leads worship and provides spiritual guidance; multiple religious ministers serving congregations in these traditions; several ordained pastors responsible for conducting services and offering pastoral care
2. Denoting more than one minister or priest in denominations chiefly associated with Calvinism who officiate at services and oversee church activities; a group of spiritual leaders in Reformed Christian communities; numerous clergy members tasked with guiding their parishioners accordingly
3. Referring to multiple individuals holding pastoral office in various Protestant sects, particularly Dutch Reformed churches, who conduct religious ceremonies and administer sacraments; several church officials providing moral and religious instruction; collective term for multiple ordained ecclesiastical figures in specified Christian denominations

Etymology: "Dominees" is the plural of "dominee," a Dutch word for a Protestant minister, borrowed into English from Dutch and Afrikaans. The Dutch term is itself a respectful form of address for clergy, and it carries the sense of a learned, ordained pastor rather than a general religious leader. The word has its deepest roots in Latin "dominus," meaning "lord" or "master," which also gave English "dominion" and "domain." Dutch "dominee" passed that Latin title through the language of the Reformed churches of the Netherlands, where it became the everyday name for the minister, so a word meaning "master" came to describe someone who led a congregation in worship. In South Africa, Afrikaans, which grew out of Dutch, kept the term alive, and it is the form most English speakers meet today. English writers use "dominees" mainly when describing these clergy in Dutch or South African settings, where a plural of the title is needed.

Synonyms: ministers, clergymen, pastors, preachers, priests