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Priest: meaning, definitions and examples

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priest

 

[ priːst ]

Noun
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Noun

religious

A priest is a person, typically a man, who has been ordained to perform sacred rituals and administer religious rites, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and a deity or deities.

Synonyms

clergyman, minister, pastor

Examples of usage

  • He was ordained as a priest in the Catholic Church.
  • The priest led the congregation in prayer.
Context #2 | Noun

Christianity

In Christianity, a priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of the church, especially the celebration of the Eucharist.

Synonyms

cleric, father, parson

Examples of usage

  • The priest presided over the Sunday service.
  • She confessed her sins to the priest.
Context #3 | Noun

informal

A priest is sometimes used informally to refer to a person who is highly skilled or knowledgeable in a particular field.

Synonyms

expert, guru, specialist

Examples of usage

  • He's a priest when it comes to fixing cars.
  • She's the priest of the marketing team.

Translations

Translations of the word "priest" in other languages:

🇵🇹 sacerdote

🇮🇳 पादरी

🇩🇪 Priester

🇮🇩 pendeta

🇺🇦 священик

🇵🇱 kapłan

🇯🇵 司祭 (shisai)

🇫🇷 prêtre

🇪🇸 sacerdote

🇹🇷 rahip

🇰🇷 사제 (saje)

🇸🇦 كاهن (kāhin)

🇨🇿 kněz

🇸🇰 kňaz

🇨🇳 牧师 (mùshī)

🇸🇮 duhovnik

🇮🇸 prestur

🇰🇿 діни қызметкері

🇬🇪 მღვდელი (mghvdeli)

🇦🇿 kahin

🇲🇽 sacerdote

Etymology

The word 'priest' originated from the Old English word 'preost', which in turn came from the Latin word 'presbyter', meaning 'elder'. The role of a priest has been significant in various religions throughout history, serving as a spiritual leader and intermediary between humans and the divine. Priests play a crucial role in performing religious ceremonies, offering guidance to their congregations, and upholding the teachings of their faith.

See also: priesthood, priestly, priests.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,431, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.