priest

B1 Topic:Religion & Belief

US /ˈpɹiːst/ See IPA manual

Freq #1960

Meanings

1

noun
A person trained to lead religious services and ceremonies in a church.

The priest at the Catholic church heard his confession.
2

noun
A person who leads religious duties in a non-Christian religion.

The temple priest prepared the offerings for the festival.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a person who leads... non-christian priest

Word family

Forms priests

Derived forms antipriestarchpriestarchpriesthoodastronomer-priestchoke-priesthighpriesthighpriesthoodhighpriestlyhighpriestshiphypepriestkill-priestpriest-doctor

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Priest comes from Old English preost, borrowed from Latin presbyter. The Latin word came from Greek presbuteros, “elder,” which the New Testament used for an elder of the church or priest.

Etymology

From Middle English prest, preest, from Old English prēost (“priest”), from Late Latin presbyter, from Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros), from πρέσβυς (présbus, “elder, older”). Reinforced in Middle English by Old French prestre, also from Latin presbyter. Doublet of presbyter and prester.

*per- Proto-Indo-European prest Middle English preost Old English presbyter la-lat πρεσβύτερος Ancient Greek prestre Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Religion & Belief

External links

# priest

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɹiːst/
**Frequency rank:** 1960

## Meanings
1. A person trained to lead religious services and ceremonies in a church.
2. A person who leads religious duties in a non-Christian religion.

## Examples
- The priest at the Catholic church heard his confession.
- The temple priest prepared the offerings for the festival.

## Derived Forms
- antipriest
- archpriest
- archpriesthood
- astronomer-priest
- choke-priest
- highpriest
- highpriesthood
- highpriestly
- highpriestship
- hypepriest
- kill-priest
- priest-doctor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *per-
- Root: prest
- Root: preost
- Root: presbyter
- Root: πρεσβύτερος
- Root: prestre

## Etymology
From Middle English prest, preest, from Old English prēost (“priest”), from Late Latin presbyter, from Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros), from πρέσβυς (présbus, “elder, older”). Reinforced in Middle English by Old French prestre, also from Latin presbyter. Doublet of presbyter and prester.

## AI Etymology
Priest comes from Middle English prest, preest, from Old English prēost (“priest”), from Late Latin presbyter, from Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros), from πρέσβυς (présbus, “elder, older”). Reinforced in Middle English by Old French prestre, also from Latin presbyter. Doublet of presbyter and prester. In present-day English it covers a person trained to lead religious services and ceremonies in a church and a person who leads religious duties in a non-Christian religion. The wider family includes derived forms such as antipriest, archpriest, archpriesthood, astronomer-priest, choke-priest.

## Topics
- Religion & Belief

markdown