priestly

[ preest-lee ]

/ ˈprist li /

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See synonyms for priestly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, priest·li·er, priest·li·est.

of or relating to a priest; sacerdotal: priestly vestments.

characteristic of or befitting a priest.

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Origin of priestly

before 1000; Middle English prestli,Old English prēostlic.See priest, -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM priestly

priest·li·ness, nounnon·priest·ly, adjectivepseu·do·priest·ly, adjectiveun·priest·ly, adjective

Words nearby priestly

priestess, priestfish, priest-hole, priesthood, Priestley, priestly, priest-ridden, prig, priggery, priggish, priggism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use priestly in a sentence

The website Bishop Accountability keeps some of the most extensive records on allegations of priestly abuse available.
How Sicko Priests Got Away With It|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Was Vogue editor Anna Wintour the inspiration for the harrowing Miranda Priestly in the book and film The Devil Wears Prada?
Barbara Walters’s Biggest Interviews, From Castro to Bieber (Video)|Kevin Fallon|March 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Priestly celibacy, obviously: you'll naturally attract people who can't act on their sexual desires in public.
Sex Abuse Scandals at Horace Mann: What Do They Tell Us About Private School?|Megan McArdle|March 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They also admit to being what Clohessy calls a “one-issue group” in their battle against priestly sex abuse.
Can the Cardinals Find a Clean Pope?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|March 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The study also cites a reluctance among some sisters to embrace the “reservation of priestly ordination to men.”
Former Nun Mary Johnson Criticizes Vatican Crackdown on U.S. Sisters|Abigail Pesta|April 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He told me himself, that ever since his ordination he has assumed what he calls a priestly garb.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The priestly city of On, a sort of university town, was consecrated to the worship of Ra, the sun.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume II|John Lord
It was then that Samuel arose, and he first appears as a pious boy, consecrated to priestly duties by a remarkable mother.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume II|John Lord
From the most remote times, the Cherokees have had one family set apart for the priestly office.
The Myths of the New World|Daniel G. Brinton
But in the priestly city, where education consists in being taught to play the hypocrite and to lie, traitors abound.
Rule of the Monk|Giuseppe Garibaldi

British Dictionary definitions for priestly

priestly

/ (ˈpriːstlɪ) /

adjective -lier or -liest

of, relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a priest

Derived forms of priestly

priestliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

priestly

Origin of priestly

OTHER WORDS FROM priestly

Words nearby priestly

Words related to priestly

How to use priestly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for priestly

Derived forms of priestly