dean

dean — 名詞

1. a senior university official who oversees a specific faculty, school, or academi

1.名詞B2
釋義

院長；教務長

大學學院或學術部門的負責主管

a senior university official who oversees a specific faculty, school, or academic unit, managing programmes, budgets, and faculty appointments.

例句

Tuan met with the dean of engineering to ask about the new robotics lab.

Tuan 去找工學院院長，詢問新建機器人實驗室的事。

dean of [faculty/school] — typical collocation

The dean announced that every department would receive extra funding for research next year.

院長宣布明年每個系都會獲得額外的研究經費。

同義詞
  • director

    more common for specific institutes or centres within a university, e.g. 'director of the language centre'

  • head

    a broader term that can apply to any organisational unit; less formal than 'dean'

  • provost

    the chief academic officer of a university, ranking above a dean in US institutions

用法筆記

In the US and many Commonwealth universities, titles such as 'dean of the faculty of arts' or 'dean of the medical school' refer to the academic head. This role is distinct from that of a 'dean of students' (see sense 4), who handles student welfare rather than academic programming.

常見錯誤

❌The dean of students rejected my course transfer application.
✅The academic dean rejected my course transfer application.
💡The dean of students handles welfare and discipline; the academic dean handles programmes and transfers.

2. the longest-serving or most respected member of a profession or group, seen as i

2.名詞C1
釋義

資深前輩

團體中資歷最深且最受尊敬的成員

the longest-serving or most respected member of a profession or group, seen as its unofficial leader and source of advice.

例句

After four decades in journalism, Maeve was widely regarded as the dean of political reporters.

從事新聞工作四十年後，Maeve 被普遍視為政治線記者的資深前輩。

the dean of [profession] — fixed expression for doyen

Emre, the dean of the city's architecture community, still mentors young designers every Thursday.

Emre 是本市建築界的元老，每週四仍然指導年輕設計師。

同義詞
  • doyen

    the French-derived synonym; 'doyen' is slightly more formal and often preferred in British English

  • elder statesman

    implies political or public-life seniority; more metaphorical

  • grand old man/woman

    affectionate and informal; emphasises long and respected service

反義詞
  • newcomer

    someone who has recently joined a group or profession

用法筆記

This sense is most common in journalistic or biographical writing ('the dean of American letters', 'the dean of the diplomatic corps'). It is rarely used in everyday conversation. The equivalent feminine noun 'doyenne' also exists but is less common.

常見錯誤

❌She is the dean of the architecture department.' (if you mean senior member)
✅She is the dean of the city's architecture community.
💡The preposition 'of' + an institution signals sense 1; 'of' + a profession/community signals sense 2.

3. a senior priest who oversees a cathedral church and its clergy, or who supervise

3.名詞B2
釋義

座堂牧師

管理大教堂或教區的高階神職人員

a senior priest who oversees a cathedral church and its clergy, or who supervises a group of parish churches within a district.

例句

The dean of St. Paul's Cathedral led the memorial service for the former prime minister.

聖保羅大教堂的座堂牧師主持了前首相的追思禮拜。

dean of [cathedral name] — standard ecclesiastical reference

Brandon was appointed rural dean, overseeing twelve parish churches across the county.

Brandon 被任命為鄉村總鐸，負責監督全郡十二間教區教堂。

同義詞
  • canon

    a member of the cathedral chapter who assists the dean; lower rank

  • bishop

    a higher-ranking clergy member who oversees an entire diocese, including its deans

  • archdeacon

    a senior clergy role overseeing administrative matters in a diocese, similar rank to a dean

用法筆記

In the Church of England, a dean ranks below a bishop but above a canon. In the Roman Catholic Church, the term covers both cathedral deans (heads of a cathedral chapter) and rural deans (priests supervising a group of parishes). When used as a title before a name ('Dean Xiu'), the word is capitalised.

常見錯誤

❌The dean married us in the church.' (if you mean parish priest)
✅The vicar married us in the church.
💡A 'dean' is a senior administrator over multiple churches or a cathedral; an ordinary parish priest is a 'vicar' or 'rector'.

4. a university or school administrator responsible for student welfare, counsellin

4.名詞B2
釋義

學務長

負責學生輔導與紀律的校方主管

a university or school administrator responsible for student welfare, counselling, and behavioural discipline outside the classroom.

例句

The dean of students e-mailed all undergraduates about the new campus safety policy.

學務長發了一封電子郵件給所有大學部學生，說明新的校園安全政策。

dean of students — fixed American English title

Nikhil's parents met with the dean after he received two academic warnings.

Nikhil 的家長在他收到兩次學業警告後，與學務長會面討論。

同義詞

用法筆記

In US universities, 'dean of students' is a dedicated role separate from academic deans (sense 1). At Oxford and Cambridge, the term historically refers to a fellow responsible for student discipline only. In Taiwan, this role corresponds most closely to 學務長. Not used in this sense in British secondary education.

常見錯誤

❌The dean of students approved my new course.
✅The dean of students helped me with my housing application.
💡The dean of students handles welfare and discipline, not academic course approvals.