priestly

adjective

priest·​ly ˈprēst-lē How to pronounce priestly (audio)
1
: of or relating to a priest or the priesthood : sacerdotal
2
: characteristic of or befitting a priest
priestliness noun

Examples of priestly in a Sentence

He is a kind, priestly man. majestically robed in priestly garments
Recent Examples on the Web As a member of all the priestly colleges, the emperor was effectively the head of Roman religion as well as its chief priest. Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023 However, as the services are allowed to utilize rings, prayers and priestly blessings, many are concerned the accommodations have effectively overruled this marital doctrine. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 17 Nov. 2023 Ireland has a mere 20 seminarians total, and much of Europe is seeing precipitous declines in priestly vocations as well as parish attendance. Tim Busch, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023 Other events celebrating the parish’s 50th anniversary included a May 21 program exploring the architectural pieces of the church and a June 10 celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Snyder’s priestly ordination. Carol Kovach, cleveland, 21 Aug. 2023 Alongside the governors’ reports and pleading letters from subjects, the regular contents of an emperor’s in-tray would have included requests for permission to move someone’s great-uncle’s coffin according to the terms of divine law, or to fill a vacancy in one of the priestly groups. Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023 Precisely because of this perversion of sanctity of space, the Torah repeats the whole sequence but places Shabbat first so that the Shabbat spirit sanctifying time is infused into every detail of the construction of the Tabernacle and the making of the priestly garments. Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 22 Feb. 2022 On this day the priestly promises of chastity, obedience and poverty are renewed before a Bishop. Nadia Cantú, The Arizona Republic, 31 Mar. 2023 Tens of thousands of Jews gathered at the Western Wall for priestly blessings; at al-Aqsa’s gray-domed mosque, Muslim worshipers knelt in solemn prayer. Leo Sands, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'priestly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of priestly was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near priestly

Cite this Entry

“Priestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/priestly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

priestly

adjective
priest·​ly ˈprēst-lē How to pronounce priestly (audio)
priestlier; priestliest
1
: of or relating to a priest or the priesthood
2
: characteristic of or suitable for a priest
priestliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on priestly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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