How to Use priestly in a Sentence

priestly

adjective
  • He is a kind, priestly man.
  • His priestly status proved an asset for the mayors who recruited him to civic service.
    — Sam Roberts, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2020
  • His priestly status proved an asset for the mayors who recruited him to civic service.
    — Sam Roberts, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2020
  • Even after five decades, his entrance in priestly vestments remains startling.
    — J. Hoberman, New York Times, 11 May 2017
  • The names were common, but for good reason, as the Hasmonean priestly family was so revered.
    — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
  • After my grandfather died, there was the pressing question of who would take over the priestly duties at the temple.
    — Haruki Murakami, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2019
  • His priestly authority was revoked by Nicaragua’s bishops that same year.
    — Elias E. Lopez, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2020
  • His priestly authority was revoked by Nicaragua’s bishops that same year.
    — Elias E. Lopez, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2020
  • But behavior in the priestly trenches actually is much improved, and that is surely cause for hope.
    — Vincent Carroll, The Denver Post, 13 Dec. 2019
  • Parsi priesthood is hereditary, meaning all the boys here have been born into priestly families.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • While Europe continues to be a dry well for priestly vocations, Africa is a wellspring.
    — Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2019
  • Biden is a practicing Catholic, and his election in 2020 spurred the priestly debate.
    — Elaine Ayala, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Dec. 2021
  • Full priestly duties June through October, combined with driving up and down the mountain, had been a stretch.
    — CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
  • In addition to his priestly robes, Pohlmeier wore a violet zucchetto, or skull cap, and a golden pectoral cross.
    — Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2022
  • On this day the priestly promises of chastity, obedience and poverty are renewed before a Bishop.
    — Nadia Cantú, The Arizona Republic, 31 Mar. 2023
  • To find clergy, Soroka traveled to Ukraine where priestly vocations are thriving.
    — Kristin E. Holmes, Philly.com, 10 June 2018
  • Celibacy was made law only during the Middle Ages, in part as a way to keep priestly wealth inside the church, rather than being divvied up among heirs.
    — Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2019
  • Father Jenkins, 63, would seem like an excellent person to ask, and not just because of his priestly collar.
    — Ron Lieber, New York Times, 23 June 2017
  • 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
  • In these situations, ordinary folk, not the priestly class, were the guardians of doctrinal correctness.
    — The Economist, 17 Dec. 2019
  • As a member of all the priestly colleges, the emperor was effectively the head of Roman religion as well as its chief priest.
    — Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
  • The horses watch him, three velvety dinosaur heads scanning this end-of-his-rope man with a balance of priestly inquiry and animal indifference.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2017
  • And then Frank Daly will be ready for the investiture, bestowing upon this man from the Congo his proper priestly vestments.
    — Thomas Farragher, BostonGlobe.com, 1 May 2018
  • And in the highest of priestly callings, Berardelli chose to put others' lives before his own by giving up his ventilator to save the life of a younger person.
    — Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2020
  • The harvest rain’s principal contribution to the origins of religion was to spawn a priestly class—diviners and shamans—to forecast or summon it.
    — Andrew Stark, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2018
  • The goal of the priestly garments is not honor but rather to serve as a reminder that the priest has a greater responsibility to soulfully impact the community.
    — Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2023
  • But on the topic of priestly shortages, Francis simply asked bishops to pray for more vocations and urged missionaries to head to the Amazon.
    — Chico Harlan, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Feb. 2020
  • 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
  • There are nearly 23,000 active Catholic parishes — but new priestly ordinations haven't started to bounce back.
    — ABC News, 1 June 2026
  • In a set of photos that's sweeping the internet, Pope Leo was well and truly seen in a pair of Nike sneakers, paired with his traditional, priestly robes.
    — Chiara Da Col, Vanity Fair, 9 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'priestly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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