hieratic
Americanadjective
-
Also hieratical. of or relating to priests or the priesthood; sacerdotal; priestly.
-
noting or pertaining to a form of ancient Egyptian writing consisting of abridged forms of hieroglyphics, used by the priests in their records.
-
noting or pertaining to certain styles in art in which the representations or methods are fixed by or as if by religious tradition.
-
highly restrained or severe in emotional import.
Some of the more hieratic sculptures leave the viewer curiously unmoved.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to priests
-
of or relating to a cursive form of hieroglyphics used by priests in ancient Egypt
-
of or relating to styles in art that adhere to certain fixed types or methods, as in ancient Egypt
noun
Other Word Forms
- hieratically adverb
- nonhieratic adjective
- nonhieratical adjective
- nonhieratically adverb
- unhieratic adjective
- unhieratical adjective
- unhieratically adverb
Etymology
Origin of hieratic
1650–60; < Latin hierāticus < Greek hierātikós pertaining to the priesthood, priestly, equivalent to hierā-, variant stem of hierâsthai to perform priestly functions (verbal derivative of hierós sacred; see hiero-) + -ikos -ic, with -t- by analogy with derivatives from agent nouns in -tēs ( cf. athlete, athletic)
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 Egyptians also developed a simplified version of this hieroglyphic script known as hieratic, which they often employed for more mundane purposes such as recordkeeping and issuing receipts in commercial transactions.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
He revels in their flamboyant playfulness and its earnest purpose, in their fusion of slapstick antics with hieratic exaltation.
From The New Yorker • Mar. 13, 2017
The boy’s hieratic gesture is like that of someone performing an ancient sacrifice, and his hard gaze suggests he has been doing this for much of his young life.
From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2016
This half boast, half ambition puts Google into a long line of hieratic readers of the sky, and has a nice a touch of Kabbalah as well.
From Salon • Jul. 19, 2015
She made for the South East, unconsciously guided by the hieratic shot tower of Westminster.
From A Bed of Roses by George, Walter Lionel
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.
