Select the synonym (similar meaning word) of the noun "preacher", which refers to a person who publicly teaches or proclaims religious messages.

Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary question asks you to identify a synonym of the noun "preacher". Such questions are common in competitive exams to check your understanding of religious and philosophical terms that often appear in reading passages, essays, and newspaper articles. You must be able to distinguish between people who promote a religion and those who do not believe in it or reject it.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The target word is "preacher".
• The options are: atheist, agnostic, evangelist, pagan, heretic.
• A preacher is generally a religious figure who delivers sermons or religious messages.
• Exactly one option should closely match this meaning.

Concept / Approach:
The strategy is to recall the precise meanings of each term. "Preacher" refers to someone, often a member of the clergy, who delivers religious addresses or sermons and urges people to follow certain beliefs. The correct synonym should describe a person who actively promotes or proclaims a faith. By contrast, some of the other words describe people who do not believe in any god or who belong to non mainstream belief systems.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Define "preacher" as a person who preaches, that is, who publicly proclaims religious teachings or moral messages. Step 2: Recall that an "evangelist" is someone who seeks to convert others to the Christian faith, often by preaching and public proclamation. Step 3: Recognise that this role of active preaching and spreading religious messages aligns very closely with the idea of a preacher. Step 4: Examine "atheist". An atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of any god, so this is conceptually opposite to a preacher of religion. Step 5: Look at "agnostic". An agnostic is someone who claims that it is impossible to know whether God exists, not someone who preaches a faith. Step 6: Consider "pagan". This term usually refers to someone belonging to a polytheistic or non Abrahamic religion and is not used specifically for a person who preaches. Step 7: "Heretic" is a person who holds beliefs that are contrary to the official doctrine of a church, and thus is closer to a rebel than to a preacher of accepted doctrine. Step 8: Since only "evangelist" captures the role of one who actively preaches and tries to convert, it is the correct synonym.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick check is to think of standard English phrases. People often say "television evangelist" or "street evangelist" to describe preachers who spread their message by television or in public places. You would never naturally say "television atheist" or "parliamentary heretic" in the same sense. This natural usage confirms that "evangelist" is the best synonym for "preacher" among the given options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• atheist: A person who does not believe in any god, opposite in belief to a religious preacher.
• agnostic: Someone who believes that the existence of God or the divine is unknown or unknowable, not a religious promoter.
• pagan: Refers to followers of certain non Abrahamic or polytheistic religions, but does not specifically mean a person who preaches.
• heretic: A person who holds beliefs that are considered unorthodox or contrary to official religious doctrine, more of a dissenter than a preacher.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse religious labels with roles. Words like "atheist", "agnostic", and "pagan" describe beliefs or group memberships, not the act of preaching. Another pitfall is picking a word that "sounds religious" without considering its exact definition. For synonym questions, always focus on the function or role described by the original word and see which option shares that function.

Final Answer:
The synonym of "preacher" in this context is evangelist.