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

No. The Catholic priest who conducted our marriage preparation mentioned that the purpose of the wedding-cake cutting was to inaugurate the domestic life of the new couple.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The group then reconvened at the Glendale cemetery, where a priest said prayers over the casket, which was gently lowered into the ground as teary-eyed friends and family members watched.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

This moment’s dilithium crystal is recursive self-improvement, used already in the lab to develop the next models, doing double duty to turn today’s tech dweeb, very pleasurably, into a high priest of the Eschaton.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The priest who helped shield schoolgirls during the 2001 Holy Cross dispute has said the "hurt" of that ordeal could happen again.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

“Of course,” he said agreeably, cool as a priest in his dark suit and ascetic spectacles.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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

We learned about the annual return of swallows, admired blooming roses and citrus trees and absorbed a simple story: Spanish conquistadors and Catholic priests tamed a wild land, and we should follow their example.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

The Vatican has declared a formal schism with the Society of St. Pius X, excommunicating its bishops and priests in a sweeping crackdown on a traditionalist group that has vexed the Holy See for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Craig’s teachers were brown-robed priests who went by “Father.”

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

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