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priestess

priestess

34 7.2
A woman who leads religious ceremonies
  • noun
  • /ˈpriːstəs/
: sacerdotisa
  • Centuries ago the High Lords entrusted the Talisman to the priestesses, because only women may touch it.
  • priests and priestesses
  • priestess of a deity
  • high priestess

Hero was the name of a high priestess of Aphrodite.

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Examples

  • At dawn, the priestess would head down and bathe at the Castellian spring near the sanctuary.

  • "Were either of these under the wall?" the priestess asked of the scout.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • But then the high priestess of our church opened the doors... that led me on to the path of light.

  • - As your high priestess, I grant permission for this feast.

  • But Phyra felt so strongly it was her calling to be a priestess that finally, her family agreed.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The priestess performed a sacred ritual to honor the gods.

  • In ancient times, a priestess held a significant role in religious ceremonies.

  • The community looked to the priestess for guidance and blessings during festivals.

Synonyms

woman of the cloth
vspriestess
1 8.1

A woman who works as a religious leader in the Christian church

is the formal term used for women performing ritual duties
clergywoman
vspriestess
1 7.0

A woman who is a religious leader in the Christian church

is used for women who perform ritual duties across religions or in historical contexts

Compounds

powerful priestess
  • Literature
1 8.6

A woman believed to have strong magic who helps protect people

priestess of Venus
  • Literature
1 9.9

A woman who leads religious ceremonies for Venus, the Roman goddess of love

How Devout

priestess
34 7.2
Wiccan
10 8.2
sympathizer
34 4.8

Surface Forms

priestess singular
priestesses plural

Morphology

priestess = priest (transparent) = priest + ess

The meaning is directly formed from 'priest' plus the feminine suffix '-ess', which a learner can readily recognise.

Etymology

Priestess is made from priest plus the female ending -ess, like in actress. The word priest once meant 'elder' or 'religious leader', so a priestess is a woman who leads ceremonies or performs religious duties.