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
Pastors, priests, rabbis, and imams are in the streets, courthouses, and places of worship defending immigrant communities.
—
David Ostendorf, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
Some viewed the discovery as a divine gift, while a local priest chastised the explorers for unearthing Satan, saying the blowout was God’s punishment.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
For nearly a millennia and half, even in the centuries when physicians were beginning to supplant priests in treating the ill, epileptic convulsions (unexpected, frightening, enigmatic) remained the territory of the priest.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
George Gross, an expert on theology and the monarchy at King’s College London, highlighted the church’s continuing divergence from the Catholic Church, which forbids women from being ordained as priests, much less as serving as the religion’s global spiritual leader.
—Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for priest
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David Ostendorf, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
Some viewed the discovery as a divine gift, while a local priest chastised the explorers for unearthing Satan, saying the blowout was God’s punishment.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
For nearly a millennia and half, even in the centuries when physicians were beginning to supplant priests in treating the ill, epileptic convulsions (unexpected, frightening, enigmatic) remained the territory of the priest.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
George Gross, an expert on theology and the monarchy at King’s College London, highlighted the church’s continuing divergence from the Catholic Church, which forbids women from being ordained as priests, much less as serving as the religion’s global spiritual leader.
—Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 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 31 Jan. 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"
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