as in aristocracy
individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class
a gathering of Mafia dons that was in effect a convocation of the nation's priesthood of organized crime
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Recent Examples of priesthood
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis joined the Catholic priesthood at 18 and rose up the ranks of the Argentine clergy.
—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 15 July 2025
Back in the 1980s, Nicanor Palacios was an altar boy with Leo during his early priesthood in nearby Piura, and traveled the area with him for services.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Long before the papacy, even before his first steps toward priesthood, for Jorge Mario Bergoglio – the boy who would go on to become Pope Francis – there was his hometown sports club, Buenos Aires’ San Lorenzo de Almagro.
—Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
When Pope Francis convened Roman Catholic bishops at the Vatican in 2019 to discuss the ordination of married men in remote parts of South America, the meeting raised expectations about the possibility of revolutionizing the celibate priesthood.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 15 July 2025
Back in the 1980s, Nicanor Palacios was an altar boy with Leo during his early priesthood in nearby Piura, and traveled the area with him for services.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Long before the papacy, even before his first steps toward priesthood, for Jorge Mario Bergoglio – the boy who would go on to become Pope Francis – there was his hometown sports club, Buenos Aires’ San Lorenzo de Almagro.
—Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
When Pope Francis convened Roman Catholic bishops at the Vatican in 2019 to discuss the ordination of married men in remote parts of South America, the meeting raised expectations about the possibility of revolutionizing the celibate priesthood.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priesthood
Noun
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Dark Renaissance will teach you a great deal about Marlowe’s brilliance and the Elizabethan era—its theater, the aristocracy, the spy craft, and the finer points of drawing and quartering religious dissidents.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
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Last season, the club finished 10th, just shy of the threshold for European competition—the aristocracy of old-world football.—
Mattia Ferraresi,
Air Mail,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The North Korean elite in Pyongyang – whose support is crucial to maintaining national stability, despite Kim’s near-absolute power – appear to be enjoying a higher living standard than previously, with more access to modern technology and amenities.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Revenues for the third film managed to improve upon the prior entry in the series about the grand houses and the servants and elite who populate them.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But according to a new analysis by Climate Central, climate change is threatening the optimal conditions that help elite runners break world records and amateurs achieve their personal bests.—
Matthew Glasser,
ABC News,
27 Oct. 2025
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The Wilsons enjoyed their first Easter as a family of six, with everyone donning their Sunday best.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Frey, a progressive Democrat, and Fateh, a socialist who has been compared to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, not only differ in their political ideologies but also in their approaches to housing and other issues.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Nov. 2025
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Mamdani’s win represents a loss for Wall Street, whose titans tried to fund his defeat and must now work with the mayor-elect.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Authorities say that one of the main goals of 764 and similar networks is to sow chaos and bring down society.—
Mike Levine,
ABC News,
31 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement This article is part of TIME Longevity, an editorial platform dedicated to exploring how and why people are living longer and what this means for individuals, institutions, and the future of society.—
Dominique Mosbergen,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Priesthood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priesthood. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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