noun
-
the state, order, or office of a priest
-
priests collectively
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of priesthood
before 900; Middle English presthed ( e ), presthod ( e ), Old English prēosthād. See priest, -hood
Explanation
Priesthood is the position of a religious leader, especially one in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Orthodox church. The word is also used to collectively describe all priests. In some churches, priests are the clergy members who lead worship services and perform religious rituals. The word priesthood is often used to talk about them as a whole: "The Catholic priesthood is reserved for men, while women can serve as nuns." An individual priest might define his own priesthood as focused on serving the poor in his community. Priesthood is from priest and its Greek root meaning "elder," and -hood, "state or condition of being."
Vocabulary lists containing priesthood
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
David’s eventual decision to leave the priesthood for Margaret is painful and momentous.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
WSJ: You and Powell have come from similar backgrounds, not academic, not from the priesthood of central banking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
A February 1980 article from the Daily Record, originally sourced by Frank, recounts Whitten’s recent admittance to the Mormon priesthood.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025
Part of being welcomed into the legal priesthood is that you learn that these cases are embarrassing.
From Slate • Oct. 6, 2025
And it befell that when Zacharias should do the office of the priesthood in the order of his course before God,
From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
