dean

A dean, in an ecclesiastical context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and many Lutheran denominations. A dean's assistant is called a sub-dean. History Latin decanus in the Roman military was the head of a group of ten soldiers within a centuria, and by the 5th century it was the head of a group of ten monks. It came to refer to various civil functionaries in the later Roman Empire. Based on the monastic use, it came to mean the head of a chapter of canons of a collegiate church or cathedral church. Based on that use, deans in universities now fill various administrative positions.