Priest definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

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Definitions (26)

American Heritage Dictionary (3)

noun In many Christian churches, a member of the second grade of clergy ranking below a bishop but above a deacon and having authority to administer the sacraments.
noun A person having the authority to perform and administer religious rites.
transitive verb To ordain or admit to the priesthood.

Century Dictionary (20)

One who is duly authorized to be a minister of sacred things; one whose stated duty it is to perform, on behalf of the community, certain public religious acts, particularly religious sacrifices. And the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. Lev. iv. 20. On a seate of the same Chariot, a little more eleuate, sate Eunomia, the Virgine Priest of the Goddesse Honor. Chapman, Masque of the Middle Temple and Lincoln's Inn. Prayers which in this golden censer, mix'd With incense, I thy priest before thee bring. Milton, P. L., xi. 25. To what green altar, O mysterious priest, Leadst thou that heifer lowing at the skies? Keats, Grecian Urn.
One who is ordained to the pastoral or sacerdotal office; a presbyter; an elder. In Wyclif the word priest is used where in Tyndale and the authorized version the word elder is used; for example, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest reforme the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordaine priestes [presbyters, πρεσβυτέρους; authorized version elders] by cities as I also appointed thee” (Titus i. 5).
Specifically, in hierarchical churches, the second in rank in the clerical orders, between bishop and deacon. Etymologically, the word priest is a derivative or modification of the word presbyter. As, however, the office of the presbyterate has been regarded in the Christian church from primitive or early times as a sacerdotal office in so far as it confers power to celebrate the eucharist and to confer absolution, and as no church officer below a presbyter can exercise these functions, and all above a presbyter continue to exercise them in virtue of their ordination as presbyters, the title of presbyter and that of sacerdos or ἰερευις (sacrificing priest) soon came to be regarded as synonymous, and either one or the other of these titles to be preferred in popular use in different languages, to the exclusion of its synonym. The title of priest (ἱερεύς, sacerdos) was in the early church given by preeminence to the bishop (specifically the high priest) as ordinary celebrant of the eucharist in cities and the fountain of sacerdotal authority. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that it is the office of a priest “to offer, bless, rule, preach, and baptize.” These same offices are assigned to priests in the Orthodox Greek and other Oriental churches and in the Anglican Church. In the church last named the form of ordination gives authority to forgive or retain sins and be a dispenser of the word and sacraments, and only priests (including bishops as in priest's orders) can give benediction, pronounce absolution, and consecrate the eucharist. And xxvij Day of August, Decessyd Syr Thomas Toppe, a prest of the west countre. Torkington, Diarie of Eng. Travell, p. 56. It is evident unto all men, diligently reading Holy Scripture and ancient Authors, that from the Apostles' time there have been these orders of Ministers in Christ's Church—Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. Book of Common Prayer, Preface to the Ordinal.

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"But now you must consider yourself ready, for the priest is here. — Pater Peter. English.
"As long as the priest is there, it is not fitting for me to take his cap," thought the cheese-merchant, and hid himself behind the altar. — Italian Popular Tales
Just as the priest was about to kill the maiden on the altar, however, the goddess Diana came, and carried her off unharmed, leaving a deer to be sacrificed in her stead The deer was killed, the wind rose, the sails filled, and the Greek fleet soon came within sight of the high walls and towers of Troy. — The Story of the Greeks
When he made his appearance, the marquis and his daughter and the priest were assembled there. — Ronald Morton, or the Fire Ships A Story of the Last Naval War
He suspected that the priest was there for no good purpose. — Exiled for the Faith A Tale of the Huguenot Persecution

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Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

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minister · monk · servant · soldier · doctor · gentleman · prince · teacher · warrior · bishop · citizen · poet

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priest: priests

Etymologies (3)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

Middle English preost, from Old English prēost, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *prester (from Late Latin presbyter; see presbyter) or from West Germanic *prēvost (from Latin praepositus, superintendent; see provost).

Century Dictionary (2)

from Middle English preest, prest, prust, preost, pruest, from Anglo-Saxon preost = Old Saxon prēstre, priester = OFries. prēstere = Dutch priester = Middle Low German prēster = Old High German priestar, Middle High German G. priester = Icelandic prestr = Swedish prest = Danish præst = Old French prestre (later Middle English prester, q. v.), French prêtre = Spanish preste = OPg. preste = Italian prete, a priest, from Late Latin presbyter, a presbyter, elder: see presbyter.
from priest, n.

priest

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