rev·er·end (r?v??r-?nd)adj.1. Deserving reverence.2. Relating to or characteristic of the clergy; clerical.3. Reverend Abbr. Rev. Used as a title and form of address for certain clerics in many Christian churches. In formal usage, preceded by the: the Reverend Jane Doe; Reverend John Jones.n. Informal A cleric or minister. Used with the.[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin reverendus, gerundive of rever?r?, to revere; see revere1.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.reverend (?r?v?r?nd) adj1. worthy of reverence2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) relating to or designating a clergyman or the clergyn (Ecclesiastical Terms) informal a clergyman[C15: from Latin reverendus fit to be revered; see revere]Reverend (?r?v?r?nd) adj (Ecclesiastical Terms) a title of respect for a clergyman. Abbreviations: Rev. or Revd See also Very Reverend, Right Reverend, Most ReverendUsage: Reverend with a surname alone (Reverend Smith), as a term of address (“Yes, Reverend”), or in the salutation of a letter (Dear Rev. Mr Smith) are all generally considered to be wrong usage. Preferred are (the) Reverend John Smith or Reverend Mr Smith and Dear Mr SmithCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014rev?er?end (?r?v ?r ?nd, ?r?v r?nd) adj. 1. (cap.) (used as a title of respect applied or prefixed to the name of a member of the clergy or a religious order): the Reverend Timothy Cranshaw; Reverend Mother. 2. worthy of being revered; entitled to reverence. 3. pertaining to or characteristic of the clergy. n. 4. a member of the clergy. [1400?50; late Middle English