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
Her inciting incident is learning about the conversion of two college acquaintances, a comedy duo, to the Anglican priesthood—both men finding God at the same time.
—
Lauren Boersma Harris, New Yorker, 24 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
Lauren Boersma Harris, New Yorker, 24 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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Once the preserve of European aristocracy, the Romanée-Conti is now sought out by multi-millionaires at auction.—
Pin Yen Tan 9 min ago,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Quick bios have always played up Newsom’s close relationship (and business ties) with the heirs to the Getty oil fortune and links to San Francisco’s political aristocracy.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And there are others who've been able to do that as part of smaller communities, not necessarily part of the elite.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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Recent research suggests a significant shift in how voters perceive the parties; more people now believe that Republicans best represent the interests of the poor and working class, while Democrats are coming to be viewed as the party of rich elites.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Winning gold in 1998 and bronze in 2006 was no fluke; the Czechs were right there in terms of roster quality with the best-of-the-best.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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There were old ladies’ sequin dresses and their Sunday best.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And, unlike high-yield savings accounts, those rates are fixed and will remain the same until the account matures or until the saver elects to open the account prematurely.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
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In the meantime, the longtime advocate for lower interest rates is expected to dissent on Wednesday when the Fed likely elects to hold monetary policy steady.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a society where men are often the breadwinners and handle household finances – and menstrual products are unaffordable for many – women’s health care needs tend to fall by the wayside, Ahsan said.—
Sana Noor Haq,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Potential jurors expressed a range of opinions on social media during jury selection questioning, with some appearing concerned about the companies’ impact on society, their children and their older parents.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Priesthood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priesthood. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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