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
Years passed and Bergoglio indeed opted for priesthood.
—
Claudia Rebaza, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
Born in Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio first joined the Catholic priesthood in 1969.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2025
Overall, wrote Kate McElwee for the National Catholic Register in 2023, the cause of female priesthood did not advance far under Francis’ leadership.
—Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Lives lived: Theodore E. McCarrick, a high-ranking cardinal who was accused of abuse and was stripped of his priesthood by Pope Francis, died at 94.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Claudia Rebaza, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
Born in Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio first joined the Catholic priesthood in 1969.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2025
Overall, wrote Kate McElwee for the National Catholic Register in 2023, the cause of female priesthood did not advance far under Francis’ leadership.
—Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Lives lived: Theodore E. McCarrick, a high-ranking cardinal who was accused of abuse and was stripped of his priesthood by Pope Francis, died at 94.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priesthood
Noun
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A little biographical information: He was born in 1896 into the decaying Bourbon aristocracy.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
7 Apr. 2025
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Republican purists wanted a simple, technical training school that kept the costs low and, more importantly, kept the officer corps from evolving into an aristocracy.—
Ryan Shaw / Made by History,
TIME,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Long favored by Athenian elites, the island has drawn Greece’s old-money families and discreet international jet-setters who’ve been coming for generations.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
30 June 2025
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For those of us in the trenches of X, the meltdown was a familiar sight, echoing the contempt that the tech elite have directed at San Francisco for years, with the endless lamentations of anarchy at pharmacy branches in Union Square or the liberal policies of politicians like Aaron Peskin.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
30 June 2025
Noun
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In just 30 games, averaged 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds on 36% shooting from 3-point range, all marks that were personal bests.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2025
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Both sums are weekly bests for Lake, who co-authored each song on the LP.—
Jim Asker,
Billboard,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Members of Iranian paramilitary women forces (Basij) wear masks of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US elect Donald Trump with a red cross of it, during an anti-Israeli rally to show their solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people, in Tehran, January 10, 2025.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
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Their 2-1 victory there solidified their status as elect champions of Italy.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Civil society groups like the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa are calling for financial institutions to stop propping up corporate industrial agriculture, urging more public investment in agroecology instead.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The viral dystopic show, which centers around main character Gi-hun has delighted fans since its 2021 premiere, combining classic thriller elements with a deeper exploration of the human capacity for evil and the perils of an unequal society.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Priesthood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priesthood. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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