Standard Lemma guide

starets

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An Eastern Orthodox elder, typically a monk or hieromonk, often renowned for holy wisdom, who functions as an adviser and teacher.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: Eastern Orthodoxy; chiefly Russian Orthodoxy; Eastern Orthodoxy; chiefly Russian Orthodoxy

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a religious adviser (not necessarily a priest) in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: adviser, advisor, consultant

Narrower terms: Rasputin, Grigori Efimovich Rasputin

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian ста́рец (stárec) (q.v.).

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: starec — an elder of a monastery in the Orthodox Church who functions as an adviser and teacher
  • French: starets — an elder of a monastery in the Orthodox Church who functions as an adviser and teacher
  • German: Starez — an elder of a monastery in the Orthodox Church who functions as an adviser and teacher
  • Greek: στάρετς (stárets) — an elder of a monastery in the Orthodox Church who functions as an adviser and teacher
  • Greek: γέροντας (gérontas) — an elder of a monastery in the Orthodox Church who functions as an adviser and teacher
  • Russian: ста́рец (stárec) — an elder of a monastery in the Orthodox Church who functions as an adviser and teacher
  • Ukrainian: ста́рець (stárecʹ) — an elder of a monastery in the Orthodox Church who functions as an adviser and teacher