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 The aim is to atone for the Catholic Church’s failure to protect its youngest and most vulnerable members from predator priests. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 For critics inside the church, however, that raises a difficult question about the kind of assistance priests should offer soldiers. — Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026 The pope, formerly Robert Prevost, grew up in a deeply Catholic family in Chicago where the three sons all served as altar boys in church, their parents led nightly recitations of the Rosary and young Robert pretended to be a priest. — Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026 Taoist priests and monks look after the religious sites throughout Wudang. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 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 film chronicled Gortner’s youth as a Pentecostal preacher in the American South and exposed the deceptive practices used to bilk believers out of their money.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In the halcyon days of the televangelists, when Jim Bakker stood shoulder to shoulder with fire and brimstone preachers such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Jimmy Swaggart, the collection plate always seemed bottomless.
    — Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of preacher
Noun
  • Yes, those of us who are both excited and nervous about the promise of AI welcome the prospect of kings and clerics and populist politicians alike standing up to the tech lords — who, frankly, could use some perspectives other than their own.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Also figuring prominently in the proceedings is the cleric’s acolyte Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit), a fictional character representing the many women who took part in the movement.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of cleric
Noun
  • 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
  • Costco ditches its Kirkland beer Pope Leo XIV, who grew up listening to popular American television preacher Archbishop Fulton Sheen, praised his fellow Illinois clergyman as an inspiration today on the eve of Sheen’s beatification.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 23 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
  • Also on Monday, the foreign and defense ministers of Pakistan and Turkey agreed with Saudi Arabia to deploy military forces to the kingdom under their defense pact.
    — AHMED AL-HAJ, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The minister told The Associated Press that the 30 killed in the crash have already been buried.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of minister
Noun
  • 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
  • Paden’s great-aunt, Dixie Wilson, talked of her great-nephew’s service as a junior deacon at the local New Market Christian Church.
    — Glenn Rice, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of deacon
Noun
  • Caleb Flynn, a pastor who competed on American Idol season 12, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, AP News reports.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Bakker was forced to resign from his empire, turning over operations to pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on priest

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about priest

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