reverend
/ˈɹɛvɹənd/adjective, noun
reverend is spelled R-E-V-E-R-E-N-D: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 5.5 times per million words in written English, the 10,519th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, reverend means “Worthy of reverence or respect” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in reverend?
| Letters | 8: R-E-V-E-R-E-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.5 times per million words; the 10,519th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is reverend?
Reverend appears 5.5 times per million words in written English, the 10,519th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce reverend?
- /ˈɹɛvɹənd/
- /ˈɹɛvəɹənd/
Reverend has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-reverend.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of reverend
- reverends plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does reverend mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Worthy of reverence or respect.
Near-synonyms: revered, esteemed
- 2
Showing or granting reverence or respect.
- 3
Extreme, extraordinary, or powerful.
Near-synonyms: reverable, estimable
noun
- 1
A member of the Christian clergy; a minister.
The esteemed reverend will enlighten us with a sermon on reconciliation.
noun
- 1
A title indicating respect, prefixed to the names of Christian clergy.
- 2
Alternative letter-case form of reverend: a person who has received this designation and is entitled to use it publicly: a minister.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate reverend?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of reverend: rev.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Reverend in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | révérend , Révérend |
| German | (Seiner, Euer - in reference) Hochwürden, (Seiner, Euer - in reference) Ehrwürden , Hochwürden |
| Portuguese | reverendo , Reverendo |
| Spanish | reverendo , Reverendo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does reverend come from?
Borrowed from Middle French révérend, from Old French, from Latin future passive participle reverendus (“that is to be respected”), from deponent verb revereor (“to honor, revere”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).