Pulpiteer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who delivers sermons or religious speeches from a pulpit
2. One who speaks publicly about religious or moral topics, often in a church setting
3. An individual who gives formal or persuasive addresses on spiritual matters from an elevated platform

Etymology: "Pulpiteer" is a plain formation: the noun "pulpit," the raised platform from which a preacher speaks, with the suffix "-eer" added to name a person connected with it. The suffix came into English through French from Dutch and Latin roots, and it is the same ending found in "mountaineer" and "auctioneer." Adding it to "pulpit" produces a jocular or slightly derisive term for a preacher, someone whose work is defined by standing in the pulpit. Because the word is built transparently from its parts, its meaning is easy to track: the pulpit is the place, and the pulpiteer is the person who occupies it. The suffix does the naming, and "pulpit" supplies the setting that gives the term its flavor.

Synonyms: preacher, minister