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
Ordained to the Catholic priesthood in June, Jimenez was watching as parishioners acted out the Nativity scene during a posada, a Latin American tradition that reenacts Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem in search of shelter.
—
Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
In a faith where men hold all priesthood authority, reality TV has become an unexpected loophole for female dissent.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Rather than the writer pontificating about how Pfleger needs to retire from active priesthood, how about a better use of his time by advocating the notion that pedophile priests should be retired to jail.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Black men also were banned from ordained priesthood.
—Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
In a faith where men hold all priesthood authority, reality TV has become an unexpected loophole for female dissent.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Rather than the writer pontificating about how Pfleger needs to retire from active priesthood, how about a better use of his time by advocating the notion that pedophile priests should be retired to jail.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Black men also were banned from ordained priesthood.
—Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priesthood
Noun
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But the rest of the aristocracy still favors sons over daughters.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2026
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On the show, Ha, a maid, meets Bridgerton, whose family is of high-ranking aristocracy, at a masquerade ball, where her identity is concealed by a mask.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Rori Harmon, Texas women are single-minded Four years ago, the Texas women were looking to return to the elite of college basketball.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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While two of these leaders have since been killed by Israeli strikes, they are included here to provide a more complete picture of Iran’s powerful elite – people deeply embedded in the Islamic Republic’s political, intelligence and security architecture.—
Mehrzad Boroujerdi,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But Pickens wants a long-term deal, and 2025 brought lots of career-bests for him in a contract year.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
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All these people in their Sunday best.—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Congratulations to the new members-elect.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Louis Koo enters the franchise in the 2017 thread as Chief Executive-elect Adrian Yip Shun-ting.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But an outcome that sets them back in their quest to live in a free society will stand out as a cruel and historic mistake.—
Jason Rezaian,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
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The narrative features, however, such as 2010’s My Joy or 2017’s A Gentle Creature, were rich, rambling, surreal, maximalist, following characters on absurd quests through cross sections of bureaucracy and society.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Priesthood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priesthood. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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