as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy
majestically robed in priestly garments
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Recent Examples of priestly
That religious significance helps explain the presence of so many priestly and temple-related inscriptions among the fragments.
—
Ryan Brennan
april 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Lopez’s thoughts turned to those who may have strayed from the faith, the priestly role in bringing them back and the importance of Christmas in perhaps sparking that return.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
Full priestly duties June through October, combined with driving up and down the mountain, had been a stretch.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
The names were common, but for good reason, as the Hasmonean priestly family was so revered.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priestly
Ryan Brennan
april 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Lopez’s thoughts turned to those who may have strayed from the faith, the priestly role in bringing them back and the importance of Christmas in perhaps sparking that return.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
Full priestly duties June through October, combined with driving up and down the mountain, had been a stretch.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
The names were common, but for good reason, as the Hasmonean priestly family was so revered.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for priestly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priestly
Adjective
-
As the adrenaline levels rose on Monday and Tuesday, and the familiar choreography of another British political crisis began to play out—ministerial resignations, spiky statements on X—the collateral damage that Starmer had warned against started to encroach, once again, upon the scene.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
On Monday, six lower-ranking ministerial aides quit, and several senior members of Starmer's governing cabinet urged him to set out a plan for his resignation and to hold a party leadership contest, according to The Guardian newspaper.—
Frank Andrews,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rolling hills, vineyards and timber detailing give the estate its pastoral charm—all just a 90-minute drive from Sydney.—
Natalie Hoberman,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
These are not pretty, chintzy designs referencing a pastoral idyll.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
With just state money at the current funding level, according to Wednesday’s presentation, CMS could only afford 89% of its teachers, 46% of its assistant principals, 60% of its instructional support positions and 58% of its clerical and custodial staff.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
-
The measure accidentally erased Measure J from the charter through a clerical error.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Priestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priestly. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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