priest

noun

ˈprēst How to pronounce priest (audio)
Definition of priestnext
as in preacher
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church searched for a priest who could perform an exorcism

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of priest And the archdiocese is in the midst of a criminal case involving a former Leawood priest. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026 Part of the Theban Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Sheikh Abd El-Qurna cemetery is known for its concentration of tombs of priests and high-ranking officials from Egypt’s New Kingdom (1570–1069 BCE). — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026 But Laurino told us, the demand from eager American Catholics grew so fast that Monsignor Landi sent local priests to scour the countryside for more children. — Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 12 July 2026 The mission museum and gift shop are housed in the original Convent Wing, once the residential quarters of Franciscan priests and friars. — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for priest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priest
  1. preacher
  2. cleric
  3. clergyman
  4. bishop
  5. minister
  6. deacon
  7. pastor
  8. reverend
Noun
  • Videos posted on social media show street preachers speaking with multiple police officers outside the event.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • During a rare weekend at home, Godwin wrote the song — an allusion to his grandfather, Charles Godwin, a Methodist preacher — after putting the kids to bed one night.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026
Definition of preacher
Noun
  • Yet the mental horizons of Maucci and his associates were wider and more mobile than those of the big shots, small-time lawyers, and clerics who’d remained to vegetate in their old Lunigiana.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
  • Top officials appear as the crowd size swells Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old Shiite cleric, led the prayers at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla mosque for the late Khamenei and family members killed in the strike.
    — Nasser Karimi, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of cleric
Noun
  • Robin, our hero, is the son of a country clergyman.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
  • The trio of vicars starts with James Norton as Sidney Chambers, the doe-eyed clergyman with a taste for cool jazz and clever women.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026
Definition of clergyman
Noun
  • Man of books and learning Several of the videos show Athanasius of Alexandria, a fourth-century bishop and theologian traditionally considered one of the church fathers.
    — Denva Gallant, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
  • Juan José Gerardi Conedera (born December 27, 1922, Guatemala City, Guatemala—killed April 26, 1998, Guatemala City) was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and human rights activist.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
Definition of bishop
Noun
  • Further east, sirens also sounded across Bahrain, the country’s interior minister said.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • Fedorov’s ode to his own victories as defense minister on X might be aimed at persuading Zelensky to reverse his being fired, but not at challenging Zelensky for the presidency in a future race, Dickinson says.
    — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of minister
Noun
  • Among the residential buildings were the home of a deacon named Tisous and another that researchers think may have originally been a house church before the construction of the basilica.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 6 July 2026
  • Among them were the house of Tisous, identified as a church deacon and dating to the second half of the fourth century, which archaeologists believe served as a house church before the construction of the city’s basilica.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of deacon
Noun
  • The pastor didn’t suggest endorsing candidates, but instead focusing on issues, like advocating for immigration reform, and using religion as a tool for community organizing.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • In 1872, Harvey Johnson came to Baltimore as pastor of Union Baptist Church, located on Druid Hill Avenue.
    — Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 17 July 2026
Definition of pastor
Noun
  • However, a reverend in Zambia — Billiance Chondwe — says he's noticed a change.
    — Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 18 June 2026
  • Spirtual foundation Astara, where Guidera reportedly served as a reverend, paid tribute to the late actor in an emotional social media post over the weekend.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Definition of reverend

Phrases Containing priest

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pries
priest
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Cite this Entry

“Priest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priest. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on priest

Nglish: Translation of priest for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about priest

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