as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy
majestically robed in priestly garments
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Recent Examples of priestly
The priestly fraternity, named in honor of the anti-modernist Pope St. Pius X, was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre as a response to liturgical reforms made in the Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II).
—
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2025
One thing to consider, however, is that Leviticus is devoted to priestly concerns.
—Jacob F. Love, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025
The southern tradition is rooted partly in a century-old revolt against the privileges granted to Brahmans, the priestly caste that sits at the top of Hinduism’s ancient social hierarchy.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
Francis has long made prison ministry an important part of his priestly vocation and has made several visits to Rebibbia since becoming pope in 2013 while also including prison visits in many of his foreign trips.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for priestly
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2025
One thing to consider, however, is that Leviticus is devoted to priestly concerns.
—Jacob F. Love, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025
The southern tradition is rooted partly in a century-old revolt against the privileges granted to Brahmans, the priestly caste that sits at the top of Hinduism’s ancient social hierarchy.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
Francis has long made prison ministry an important part of his priestly vocation and has made several visits to Rebibbia since becoming pope in 2013 while also including prison visits in many of his foreign trips.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for priestly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for priestly
Adjective
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To that end, the WTO has convened a group of nearly 70 members to negotiate a landmark e‑commerce agreement — the first of its kind — with a first phase expected by the March 2026 ministerial conference.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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Takaichi’s career in politics spans across a handful of ministerial posts and a decade in Japan’s congress.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Bloody battles raged throughout the fall of 1863 along the banks of the Tennessee River, in pastoral valleys, and on the flanks of Lookout Mountain, a long, craggy ridge overlooking the city.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
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Tolkien conceived of the Shire as the quaint, pastoral homeland of the Hobbits, a race of short yet courageous dwellers of the fictional Middle-earth.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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These payments are in part calculated by work history and income but also are adjusted every year based on the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W).—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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The Social Security Administration bases its COLA each year on average annual increases in the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) from July through September.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Priestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/priestly. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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