plural priests
: someone who is authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion especially as a mediatory agent between humans and God
specifically
: an Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, or Roman Catholic clergyperson ranking below a bishop and above a deacon
Synonyms
Examples of priest in a Sentence
He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest.
searched for a priest who could perform an exorcism
Recent Examples on the Web
The hot priest advises Eddie to earn forgiveness and stop punishing himself and then suggests that Eddie do something joyful after his penance.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Slate says that, in 1905, an issue of The Cambrian, a magazine for Welsh Americans, featured an anecdote involving a priest who, following a service, pulled a clerk aside to ask whether his sermon had been long enough.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Heyman Vázquez, a Catholic priest who works in Ciudad Hidalgo, along the Guatemalan border, said criminal groups in southern Mexico have gone so far as to set up checkpoints along the main highway in an effort to identify migrants.
—Emily Green, ProPublica, 1 Nov. 2024
The leader of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee told federal lawmakers the work visas of two dozen priests serving at local Catholic churches are in jeopardy because of how the government now processes the green cards of clergy.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for priest 
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Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Slate says that, in 1905, an issue of The Cambrian, a magazine for Welsh Americans, featured an anecdote involving a priest who, following a service, pulled a clerk aside to ask whether his sermon had been long enough.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Heyman Vázquez, a Catholic priest who works in Ciudad Hidalgo, along the Guatemalan border, said criminal groups in southern Mexico have gone so far as to set up checkpoints along the main highway in an effort to identify migrants.
—Emily Green, ProPublica, 1 Nov. 2024
The leader of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee told federal lawmakers the work visas of two dozen priests serving at local Catholic churches are in jeopardy because of how the government now processes the green cards of clergy.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for priest
Dictionary Entries Near priest
Cite this Entry
“Priest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/priest. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
priest
noun
: a person who has the authority to lead or perform religious ceremonies
Etymology
Old English prēost "priest," derived from Latin presbyter "priest, elder," from Greek presbyteros, comparative form of presbys "old man, elder"
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