priest

American  

[preest] / prist /

noun

• priests
  plural

1. a person whose office it is to perform religious rites, and especially to make sacrificial offerings.

2. (in Christian use)

   1. a person ordained to the sacerdotal or pastoral office; a member of the clergy; minister.

   2. (in hierarchical churches) a member of the clergy of the order next below that of bishop, authorized to carry out the Christian ministry.

3. a minister of any religion.

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verb (used with object)

1. to ordain as a priest.

priest British  

/ priːst /

noun

1. Christianity a person ordained to act as a mediator between God and man in administering the sacraments, preaching, blessing, guiding, etc

2. (in episcopal Churches) a minister in the second grade of the hierarchy of holy orders, ranking below a bishop but above a deacon

3. a minister of any religion

4. Judaism a descendant of the family of Aaron who has certain privileges in the synagogue service

5. (in some non-Christian religions) an official who offers sacrifice on behalf of the people and performs other religious ceremonies

6. (sometimes capital) a variety of fancy pigeon having a bald pate with a crest or peak at the back of the head

7. angling a small club used to kill fish caught

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verb

1. to make a priest; ordain

priest Cultural  

1. One who is designated an authority on religious matters. In some churches, especially the Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Roman Catholic Church, the ordained church leader who serves a congregation of believers is called a priest. The priests in these churches administer the sacraments, preach, and care for the needs of their congregations. (See also minister and pastor.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underpriest
  noun
• antipriest
  adjective
• priestless
  adjective
• priestlike
  adjective
• unpriestlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• priests
  plural

Etymology

Origin of priest

before 900; Middle English prest ( e ), priest, Old English prēost, ultimately < Late Latin presbyter presbyter

Explanation

A priest is a religious figure who performs ceremonies, particularly in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Orthodox church. During a Catholic baptism, a priest sprinkles holy water on a baby's head. Though priests are often thought of as Christian, there are other religions with priests, including some branches of Shintoism and Hinduism. Priests often lead religious services, perform weddings and other religious rites, and in many cases work full time for their churches. Priest comes from the Old English prēost, and it shares a root with Presbyterian, the Greek presbyteros, "an elder."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

priest priests

The Rev Paul Cawthorne, priest in charge of churches in the Hadnall area, is also a long time environmental campaigner.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Oakley was born in Stourbridge, West Midlands, and ordained as a priest in 1980 before becoming Bishop of Northampton in 2020.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Father Vazgen Alekyan is an Armenian priest who has been based in Jerusalem since the late 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

A onetime seminarian — he left three years shy of being ordained a Catholic priest — Reilly was no saint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

The laundry Mama took in included that of a White Episcopal priest, Reverend Eder, the priest in charge at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Moretta is 10 years past the customary retirement age for Catholic priests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Unfortunately, I have always struggled with disappointing authority figures: professors, bosses, priests, parents — and, apparently, severe-bunned bakers.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

Under this traditional model, kings, priests, and other powerful leaders gained control of wealth and resources, causing the divide between rich and poor to expand.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026

Inside, neatly made-up rooms for visiting priests line warmly lit halls that lead to a chapel where the 400-year-old ritual takes place.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

That’s how I’d tell it, if it were up to me: Daniel knew very well that the King’s high priests were sneaking in at night and taking all that food.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• cleric
• elder
• father
• friar
• lama
• monk
• preacher
• rector