priestess
Americannoun
Gender
See -ess.
Etymology
Origin of priestess
Explanation
A priestess is a female religious figure. In ancient Greece, a priestess often dressed in the style of a goddess, wearing white robes and carrying a long staff. The word priestess is a feminine version of priest, which stems from the Old English prēost and its Greek root, presbyteros, "an elder." While hundreds of years ago a priestess was simply a female priest, today's Christians use priest whether they're talking about a man or a woman. The word priestess is used for ancient religions and occasionally pagan or Wiccan religious leaders.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The songs — “I Hold No Grudge” and “He Ain’t Comin’ Home No More,” with lyrics by John Clifford — appeared on Simone’s acclaimed 1967 album “High Priestess of Soul.”
From Washington Post • Dec. 12, 2022
Kennealy-Morrison appeared in the 1991 flick "The Doors" as the Wicca Priestess who presided over the ceremony and said in her book that director Oliver Stone had even consulted her for the movie.
From Fox News • Aug. 5, 2021
As with her 2013 interview with disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, “Oprah With Meghan and Harry” reminded everyone that she remains the High Priestess of the celebrity confessional.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2021
Lane was a personal assistant to the actress and writer Carrie Fisher, and her fictional doppelgänger in this novel is 56-year-old Kathi Kannon, who starred as Priestess Talara in the film “Nova Quest.”
From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2020
Leander was a youth of Abydus, a town on the Hellespont, and Hero was Priestess of Aphrodite in Sestus on the opposite shore.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
