priory

noun

pri·​o·​ry ˈprī-(ə-)rē How to pronounce priory (audio)
plural priories
: a religious house under a prior or prioress

Examples of priory in a Sentence

you can hear the bells from the priory from the other side of the village
Recent Examples on the Web By 1891, Pope Leo XIII raised the status of the priory to the rank of abbey. Curtis Varnell The Timepiece, arkansasonline.com, 25 Feb. 2024 Over the next decade, excavations at the site unearthed dozens of graves containing ornate artifacts and human remains, including the bodies of clergy members and wealthy donors to the medieval priory. Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2022 His restaurant, near the medieval priory in Cartmel, opened just across from the bakery that claimed to have invented sticky toffee pudding. Jay Cheshes, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2022 Additional accommodations on the property include a former chapel that’s been transformed into a cottage, which harks back to the building’s early days as a Benedictine priory. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 July 2022 When the Leominster stool was moved to its new position in the priory in 2004, locals held a service of penitence. Katie Dancey-Downs, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2022 Hotels are equally swoon-worthy, such as the deeply romantic Hotel Fontevraud, the former priory in the historic monument of Fontevraud Royal Abbey, which dates to the 12th century. Jancee Dunn, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2022 Much of the monk's writing concerned the priory's day-to-day operations—including a detailed account of rebuilding the cathedral's choir after a fire in 1174—as well as disputes with neighboring houses and an Archbishop of Canterbury. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2022 With the trip, VistaJet Members call La Verrière, a wine estate and ninth-century priory, their home base. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2021

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English priorie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin prioria, from prior

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of priory was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near priory

Cite this Entry

“Priory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/priory. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

priory

noun
pri·​o·​ry ˈprī-(ə-)rē How to pronounce priory (audio)
plural priories
: a religious house under a prior or prioress

More from Merriam-Webster on priory

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