Meaning & use
predikant
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablereligion
A minister or ordained preacher in certain Protestant churches, especially in South Africa and the Netherlands.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a predikant' for one and 'predikants' for more than one.
Patterns
- a predikant in a church
- be ordained as a predikant
The predikant led the Sunday service in the small farming town.
Her grandfather served as a predikant in the Dutch Reformed Church for forty years.
Villagers asked the predikant to bless the new community hall.
nouncountablereligion
A title used before the name of such a minister, similar to 'Reverend' in English.
Grammar: Used as a title directly before a surname: 'Predikant Van Wyk'.
Patterns
- Predikant + surname
Predikant Botha preached about forgiveness.
The letter was signed 'Predikant J. Smit'.
Word forms
| plural | predikants |
|---|
Common combinations
- Dutch Reformed predikant
- He was trained as a Dutch Reformed predikant in Stellenbosch.
- ordain a predikant
- The synod ordained a new predikant last month.
- the local predikant
- The local predikant visits the sick every week.
- predikant's sermon
- The predikant's sermon lasted almost an hour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- minister
- The general English word for a Protestant clergyperson; use it when your reader may not know the South African term.
- pastor
- Common in many churches and slightly warmer in tone; a predikant is specifically tied to Dutch Reformed tradition.
- preacher
- Focuses on the act of preaching rather than the official position, so it is less formal than predikant.
- clergyman
- A broad, somewhat old-fashioned term covering all clergy; predikant is narrower and regional.
Word family
- predikantskap noun
- South African Dutch/Afrikaans term for the office or role of a predikant.
Commonly confused: predikant or predicant? predikant or predicate?
predikant vs predicant
An older English word for a preaching friar; it looks almost identical to predikant but belongs to medieval church history rather than South Africa.
predikant vs predicate
A grammar term meaning the part of a sentence containing the verb; it sounds similar but is unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'predikant' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Predikant' is a noun for a Protestant minister, so only the first sentence fits. The others misuse it as a food, an adjective, or a word for 'moral'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “predikant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.