missionary

mis·sion·ary
M3I1S1S1I1O1N1A1R1Y4
US/ˈmɪʃ.əˌnɛɹ.ɪ/UK/ˈmɪʃ.ən(ə).ɹɪ/

noun

One who is sent on a mission.

“Near-synonym: emissary”

Similar
emissarymissionalmissioner
OriginEnglish mission ← Latin missiō ← Old Latin mītō →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounmissionary (countable and uncountable, plural missionaries)

plural missionaries

  1. countableuncountableOne who is sent on a mission.

    Near-synonym: emissary

    Synonyms: emissary

  2. countableuncountablelifestyleA person who travels attempting to spread a religion or creed (Particularly used in context of Christianity).

    A missionary was just trying to convert me to his religion.

  3. countablederogatoryuncountableA religious messenger.
  4. uncountableThe missionary position for sexual intercourse.

    My boyfriend only cums during missionary.

  5. slanguncountableSexual intercourse in the missionary position.
adjectivemissionary (not comparable)
  1. not comparableRelating to a (religious) mission.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounOne who is sent on a mission.

Similar
emissary

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiverelating to or connected to a religious mission

Similar
missional

nounsomeone sent on a mission — especially a religious or charitable mission to a foreign country

Similar
missioner
Broader
religious person
Also see
emissarymissionalmissioner

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*meyth₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*méyth₂eti
  4. Proto-Italic*meitō
  5. Old Latinmītō
  6. Latinmittō
  7. Latinmissiō
  8. Englishmission
  9. Englishmissionary

From mission + -ary.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُبَشِّر, مُنَصِّر
  • مُبَشِّر (mubaššir)person traveling to spread a religion
  • مُنَصِّر (munaṣṣir)person traveling to spread a religion
  • مُبَلِّغ (muballiḡ)person traveling to spread a religion
Basque misiolari
  • misiolariperson traveling to spread a religion
Bengali ধর্মপ্রচারক
  • ধর্মপ্রচারক (dhormoprocarok)person traveling to spread a religion
Bulgarian мисионе́р, мисионе́рка
  • мисионе́р (misionér)person traveling to spread a religion
  • мисионе́рка (misionérka)person traveling to spread a religion
  • мисионерски (misionerski)relating to a mission
Catalan missioner
  • missionerperson traveling to spread a religion
Chinese Cantonese 傳教士 /传教士, 宣教士
  • 傳教士 /传教士 (cyun⁴ gaau³ si⁶)person traveling to spread a religion
  • 宣教士 (syun¹ gaau³ si⁶)person traveling to spread a religion
Chinese Mandarin 傳教士 /传教士, 傳道者 /传道者
  • 傳教士 /传教士 (chuánjiàoshì)person traveling to spread a religion
  • 傳道者 /传道者 (chuándàozhě)person traveling to spread a religion
  • 宣教士 (xuānjiàoshì)person traveling to spread a religion
  • 傳教的 /传教的 (chuánjiào de)relating to a mission
Czech misionář
  • misionářperson traveling to spread a religion
Danish missionær
  • missionærperson traveling to spread a religion
Dutch missionaris, zendeling
  • missionarisperson traveling to spread a religion
  • zendelingperson traveling to spread a religion
  • evangelistperson traveling to spread a religion
Esperanto misiisto
  • misiistoperson traveling to spread a religion
Estonian misjonär
  • misjonärperson traveling to spread a religion
Finnish lähetyssaarnaaja, lähetys-
  • lähetyssaarnaajaperson traveling to spread a religion
  • lähetys-relating to a mission
French missionnaire
  • missionnaireperson traveling to spread a religion
German Missionar, Missionarin
  • Missionarperson traveling to spread a religion
  • Missionarinperson traveling to spread a religion
  • missionarischrelating to a mission
Greek ιεραπόστολος
  • ιεραπόστολος (ierapóstolos)person traveling to spread a religion
Hawaiian mikanele
  • mikaneleperson traveling to spread a religion
Hebrew מִיסְיוֹנֶר
  • מִיסְיוֹנֶר (misyonér)person traveling to spread a religion
Hindi धर्मप्रचारक, धर्म-प्रचारक
  • धर्मप्रचारक (dharmapracārak)person traveling to spread a religion
  • धर्म-प्रचारक (dharm-pracārak)person traveling to spread a religion
  • मिशनरी (miśanrī)person traveling to spread a religion
Hungarian hittérítő, misszionárius
  • hittérítőperson traveling to spread a religion
  • misszionáriusperson traveling to spread a religion
Icelandic kristniboði, trúboði
  • kristniboðiperson traveling to spread a religion
  • trúboðiperson traveling to spread a religion
Indonesian misionaris
  • misionarisperson traveling to spread a religion
Irish misinéir
  • misinéirperson traveling to spread a religion
Italian missionario, missionaria
  • missionarioperson traveling to spread a religion
  • missionariaperson traveling to spread a religion
Japanese 宣教師
  • 宣教師 (senkyōshi)person traveling to spread a religion
Korean 선교사
  • 선교사 (seon'gyosa)person traveling to spread a religion
Latin missiōnārius
  • missiōnāriusperson traveling to spread a religion
Latvian misionārs
  • misionārsperson traveling to spread a religion
Lithuanian misionierius
  • misionieriusperson traveling to spread a religion
Malay mubaligh
  • mubalighperson traveling to spread a religion
Norwegian Bokmål misjonær
  • misjonærperson traveling to spread a religion
Polish misjonarz, misjonarka
  • misjonarzperson traveling to spread a religion
  • misjonarkaperson traveling to spread a religion
  • misyjnyrelating to a mission
  • misjonarskirelating to a mission
Portuguese missionário, missionária
  • missionárioperson traveling to spread a religion
  • missionáriaperson traveling to spread a religion
Romanian misionar, misionară
  • misionarperson traveling to spread a religion
  • misionarăperson traveling to spread a religion
Russian миссионе́р, миссионе́рка
  • миссионе́р (missionér)person traveling to spread a religion
  • миссионе́рка (missionérka)person traveling to spread a religion
Scottish Gaelic teachdaire
  • teachdaireperson traveling to spread a religion
Slovak misionár, misionárka
  • misionárperson traveling to spread a religion
  • misionárkaperson traveling to spread a religion
Spanish misionero, misionera
  • misioneroperson traveling to spread a religion
  • misioneraperson traveling to spread a religion
  • misionarioperson traveling to spread a religion
Swahili mmisionari
  • mmisionariperson traveling to spread a religion
Swedish missionär
  • missionärperson traveling to spread a religion
Tagalog misyonero
  • misyoneroperson traveling to spread a religion
Thai มิชชันนารี, หมอสอนศาสนา
  • มิชชันนารีperson traveling to spread a religion
  • หมอสอนศาสนาperson traveling to spread a religion
Turkish misyoner, mübelliğ
  • misyonerperson traveling to spread a religion
  • mübelliğperson traveling to spread a religion
Ukrainian місіоне́р, місіоне́рка
  • місіоне́р (misionér)person traveling to spread a religion
  • місіоне́рка (misionérka)person traveling to spread a religion
Urdu مُبَلِّغ, مُرَبّی
  • مُبَلِّغ (muballiġ)person traveling to spread a religion
  • مُرَبّی (murabbī)person traveling to spread a religion
  • مِشْنَری (miśnarī)person traveling to spread a religion
Vietnamese người truyền giáo, cha truyền đạo
  • người truyền giáoperson traveling to spread a religion
  • cha truyền đạoperson traveling to spread a religion
Welsh misiynari, cenhadol
  • misiynariperson traveling to spread a religion
  • cenhadolperson traveling to spread a religion
Cite this entry
APA

missionary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/missionary

MLA

“missionary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/missionary. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “missionary,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/missionary.

Source: missionary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.