priest

noun

ˈprēst How to pronounce priest (audio)
Definition of priestnext
as in preacher
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church searched for a priest who could perform an exorcism

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 priest In places such as Taiwan, Daoist priests can be seen today conducting rituals at community temples and annual festivals. — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026 At the moment the priest elevated the host during the consecration — the most sacred moment of the Catholic Mass, when Catholics believe bread becomes the body of Christ — thunder cracked loudly overhead. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026 In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI upheld the validity of the Latin Rite and urged priests to offer such a Mass if their parishioners demanded it. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 The Vatican said on July 2 that priests and lay Catholics who are part of a breakaway right-wing Catholic group that ordained bishops without Pope Leo's approval were in schism with the wider Church and now excommunicated. — Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for priest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priest
  1. preacher
  2. cleric
  3. clergyman
  4. bishop
  5. minister
  6. deacon
  7. pastor
  8. reverend
Noun
  • The dynamic duo of Jonda Valentine, an artist and daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, and her longtime friend Christa Suppan, who started as a bartender when Lipstick first opened, share co-ownership of the two bars.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 July 2026
  • The street preacher asks if someone could be cited if a transgender person is offended if they are misgendered by another person.
    — Emily Holshouser July 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
Definition of preacher
Noun
  • Revolutionary Guard members and clerics mourn on the esplanade of the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque.
    — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • Funeral ceremonies are expected to begin in Tehran and move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, then to Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 June 2026
Definition of cleric
Noun
  • Robin, our hero, is the son of a country clergyman.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
  • The trio of vicars starts with James Norton as Sidney Chambers, the doe-eyed clergyman with a taste for cool jazz and clever women.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026
Definition of clergyman
Noun
  • The ritual confers the Holy Spirit from one bishop to another and recalls Christ’s gesture to his apostles.
    — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Under the church’s in-house canon law, consecrating a bishop without papal consent incurs an automatic excommunication for both the people administering the consecration and the bishops receiving it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of bishop
Noun
  • While theology and ministry studies were designated as nonprofessional, the master of divinity degree often pursued by eventual pastors or ministers does retain professional status.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Our higher education was started by people of faith — Harvard, Yale, Princeton — were founded to train ministers of the Gospel.
    — Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of minister
Noun
  • The research in the Diocese of Saginaw reviewed allegations against 37 priests and one deacon, 30 of whom are known or presumed to be dead.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 25 June 2026
  • When there’s a big medical bill, the deacon, or maybe some sort of committee, a small committee within the church, try to pull some funds together to pay for it.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 6 June 2026
Definition of deacon
Noun
  • Hong Kong — A pastor who founded one of China’s most prominent underground churches has been released from prison and reunited with his family in the United States, his daughter told CNN.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Michelle Obama is a shining example of this inspirational leadership, the kind also demonstrated by my mother and aunties, my sister and sister- friends, by my pastor and elders, and by my colleagues in the maternal and infant health space.
    — Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of pastor
Noun
  • However, a reverend in Zambia — Billiance Chondwe — says he's noticed a change.
    — Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 18 June 2026
  • Spirtual foundation Astara, where Guidera reportedly served as a reverend, paid tribute to the late actor in an emotional social media post over the weekend.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Definition of reverend

Phrases Containing priest

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pries
priest
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Cite this Entry

“Priest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priest. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on priest

Nglish: Translation of priest for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about priest

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