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
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis joined the Catholic priesthood at 18 and rose up the ranks of the Argentine clergy.
—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 15 July 2025
Back in the 1980s, Nicanor Palacios was an altar boy with Leo during his early priesthood in nearby Piura, and traveled the area with him for services.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Long before the papacy, even before his first steps toward priesthood, for Jorge Mario Bergoglio – the boy who would go on to become Pope Francis – there was his hometown sports club, Buenos Aires’ San Lorenzo de Almagro.
—Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
When Pope Francis convened Roman Catholic bishops at the Vatican in 2019 to discuss the ordination of married men in remote parts of South America, the meeting raised expectations about the possibility of revolutionizing the celibate priesthood.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 15 July 2025
Back in the 1980s, Nicanor Palacios was an altar boy with Leo during his early priesthood in nearby Piura, and traveled the area with him for services.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Long before the papacy, even before his first steps toward priesthood, for Jorge Mario Bergoglio – the boy who would go on to become Pope Francis – there was his hometown sports club, Buenos Aires’ San Lorenzo de Almagro.
—Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
When Pope Francis convened Roman Catholic bishops at the Vatican in 2019 to discuss the ordination of married men in remote parts of South America, the meeting raised expectations about the possibility of revolutionizing the celibate priesthood.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priesthood
Noun
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Neither have confirmed the collaboration at the time of going to print, but fans are already buzzing about the pairing of K-pop royalty and British pop aristocracy.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
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The entire film plays out over one long party at an English estate, where the stuffy, traditional English aristocracy collide with Hedda’s bohemian artist friends.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The elite receiving tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins gives a lot of teams fits.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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From his latest romance with pop powerhouse Katy Perry to his friendly ties to Hollywood stars and the global elite, Canada’s former prime minister's political star power seems to be more alive than ever.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Long stretches of The Paseo, Broadway Boulevard and Ward Parkway will close as racers aim to set personal bests, so plan accordingly.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
15 Oct. 2025
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This was baseball at its October best.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Melania offers unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration through the eyes of the First Lady-elect herself.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
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Arizona Senate Democrats Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego clashed withHouse Speaker Mike Johnson in the hallways of the Capitol on Wednesday, over the swearing-in of Democratic Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The former played the role of cynosure for the neophytes of the new high society, the latter remaining the bastion of genteel estates and social exclusivity.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
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Neuroscience also reveals how collective memory and leadership dynamics can steer a society toward increasing aggression or maintaining peace.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Priesthood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priesthood. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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