priorship

9.9

The period when someone leads a small religious community

noun
/ˈpraɪərˌʃɪp/

: priorato

After his election to the priorship, he introduced many reforms to the monastery.

Examples

The priorship was held by Father Thomas for many years.
Her research focuses on the role of women during the medieval priorship at Wroxall Abbey.
The history of his priorship is recorded in several ancient manuscripts.
She aspired to the priorship of the local monastery.
After his election to the priorship, he introduced many reforms to the monastery.
Her research focuses on the role of women during the medieval priorship at Wroxall Abbey.
She aspired to the priorship of the local monastery.

How Senior

papacy

13 8.4

archbishopric

9.9

bishopric

1 9.7

abbacy

9.9

priorship

9.9

Surface Forms

priorship singular

priorships plural

Morphology

priorship = prior (transparent) = prior + ship

Formed by adding the productive noun-forming suffix '-ship' to 'prior', indicating the office or position, which is directly derivable.

Etymology

Priorship comes from prior, which meant 'earlier' or 'first' and later became the title for a monk who leads a priory, and it shares the same root as priority, which helps you remember 'first' or 'most important'. So, priorship is the office or job of being a prior.