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 Most Holy Redeemer was closed last August, with little explanation from the Archdiocese of New York outside of a priest shortage and slight structural damage to its ceiling, parishioners and church leaders said. — New York Times, 11 Oct. 2026 The Vatican has long looked the other way when priests were accused of abuse involving adults, especially if the priests were bishops. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 In the film, Johansson stars as NYPD homicide detective Julie Miller, who investigates a murderer called Father Sunday (John Leguizamo), a priest (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and a new slew of killings that threaten Miller’s 12-year-old son (Jacobi Jupe). — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 The priest is the one of three male leaders left in a community otherwise bereft of its menfolk, who impose their will on the remaining women and children with varying degrees of kindness and responsibility. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Oct. 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
  • And yet another member, Cody Smith, said his grandfather was preacher of the church for more than 40 years.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This brings to mind a song from yesteryear about the preacher and the bear.
    — Alfred H. Moses, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of preacher
Noun
  • Attendance was mandatory, but a cleric with a loudspeaker tried to give the event a festive air.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The lawmaker, Hamid Rasaei, a cleric who has regularly lashed out at Iran’s negotiating team, is a member of the ultra-hard-line political party Paydari.
    — Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of cleric
Noun
  • When Yakovlev mentioned the clergyman who attended the death-bed, Adelaide expressed surprise that John had asked to see a pastor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The seeds are then planted in California, where Eddie Anderson, a clergyman, political organizer and the founder of Freedom Farms Collective, helps oversee their growth.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of clergyman
Noun
  • On April 18, 1049, the pope exempted a nunnery in Alsace – now in Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine, France – from the legal authority and supervision of the local bishop.
    — Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Warren Jeffs then appointed Nephi Jeffs, another brother, as bishop.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of bishop
Noun
  • Members of the Watch Group, along with other influential artists, recommended that Roh appoint Lee as minister of culture.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Mohamed Susi, a resident of the Muslim-majority neighborhood of El Principe, watched as hundreds of migrant boys gathered at a church next to his house one day in early October to await the arrival of a visiting minister.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of minister
Noun
  • The youngest, a middle-school basketball coach who’s thinking about becoming a deacon or pastor, isn’t sure.
    — Eric Lau, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Then his neighbor, a deacon in his church, told him about a previous roommate who had died of cancer, and how he had recently been diagnosed himself.
    — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of deacon
Noun
  • Marshall is tied with Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton, while the other four trail to varying degrees.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Money, money, money Bob Beatty, the political science chair and professor at the University of Washburn, attributed the pastor's strong communication and fundraising skills to his experience leading the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pastor
Noun
  • But my little Outlander sweeties, this is not just any reverend, this is Reverend Wakefield.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026
  • However, a reverend in Zambia — Billiance Chondwe — says he's noticed a change.
    — Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 18 June 2026
Definition of reverend

Phrases Containing priest

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pries
priest
priestess
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Cite this Entry

“Priest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priest. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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