priesthood

noun

ˈprēst-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce priesthood (audio)
Definition of priesthoodnext
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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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 priesthood Historic meeting follows king’s visit George Gross, an expert on theology and the monarchy at King’s College London, said Monday’s meeting was historic, particularly given the Vatican doesn’t recognize the female priesthood. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2026 Listen to the full episode to hear Misti get into the real solutions being researched right now, including ritualistic atomic priesthood, songs, and stories. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 25 Feb. 2026 Apostles are all men in accordance with the church's all-male priesthood. — CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025 Apostles are all men in accordance with the church’s all-male priesthood. — Hannah Schoenbaum, Fortune, 27 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for priesthood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priesthood
  1. aristocracy
  2. elite
  3. best
  4. elect
  5. society
Noun
  • From the viewpoint of the bourgeoisie, both Jews and the aristocracy advocated revolutions and radical change, and thus both attacked the status quo.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The latter category, anticipating biomimicry, is well represented by the automata that captivated the aristocracy in the following century.
    — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of aristocracy
Noun
  • The numbers are vast and climbing again but during the countdown to another season, beginning on Friday night, there has been another timely marker to illustrate the rapid financial growth of the Premier League and its elite.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Political freedoms have often been severely restricted, workers have few rights and power has typically been concentrated in the hands of political elites.
    — Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of elite
Noun
  • With the three-row Kia Sorento, the Hyundai Palisade retains the South Korean brands’ 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, both segment and industry bests.
    — James Raia, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Scott William Winters plays Clark, a Harvard student who Will intellectually bests.
    — Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
Definition of best
Noun
  • The governor-elect faced a fight over removing Nick Balletto, who had initially been dismissive of Lamont as a candidate, as the Democratic state chair.
    — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026
  • With energy prices moving higher in July so far, and recent strong statements on fighting inflation, markets see broadly a 1 in 3 chance that the FOMC elects to increase rates in July.
    — Simon Moore, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of elect
Noun
  • British universities have been working to hire more academics from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds so that their faculties better reflect the broader society.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Women heavily lead or outnumber men in high-engagement categories like true crime, relationships, self-improvement, and society-and-culture.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of society

Browse Nearby Words

priestesses
priesthood
priesthoods
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Priesthood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priesthood. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on priesthood

Nglish: Translation of priesthood for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about priesthood

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