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
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
But [the discourse] got caught up in whether or not a priest would ever lie on the stand.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Father Alberto Reyes Pías, a Catholic priest who serves 13 towns in the Camagüey province, in the island’s center, told me that the government had lost the people long ago.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
An early example was Radio Sutatenza, launched in 1947 by a Catholic priest hoping to combat illiteracy in rural communities of Colombia; the local effort eventually expanded to provide a variety of educational programming across a national network.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Sebastian Kneipp, a 19th century German Catholic priest and early pioneer of naturopathy, promoted nature exposure, water therapy and barefoot walking as exercise and a way to stimulate circulation and support overall health, including immune function.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for priest
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Father Alberto Reyes Pías, a Catholic priest who serves 13 towns in the Camagüey province, in the island’s center, told me that the government had lost the people long ago.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
An early example was Radio Sutatenza, launched in 1947 by a Catholic priest hoping to combat illiteracy in rural communities of Colombia; the local effort eventually expanded to provide a variety of educational programming across a national network.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Sebastian Kneipp, a 19th century German Catholic priest and early pioneer of naturopathy, promoted nature exposure, water therapy and barefoot walking as exercise and a way to stimulate circulation and support overall health, including immune function.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for priest
Cite this Entry
“Priest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/priest. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
