Meanings
priestly1
comparative more priestly · comparative priestlier · superlative most priestly · superlative priestliest
- Of or relating to priests.
- Having the appearance of or resembling a priest.
Priestly2
Priestly3
comparative more Priestly · superlative most Priestly
- not comparableusuallyhistoryPertaining to the Priestly source (“P”), one of the sources of the Torah or Pentateuch according to the documentary hypothesis.
Thus we continue to meet the new Priestly expression, “you (they) shall know that I am Yahweh” […]
1971, Norman Habel, Literary Criticism of the Old Testament, →ISBN, page 792 more examples
Then, Welch (1939) went the opposite way, asserting that the original layer, written before the end of the exile showed Deuteronomy’s influence and that more Priestly texts were secondary.
2004, Steven L. McKenzie, Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: I & II Chronicles, →ISBN, page 27Noth made the necessary objections to that view and demonstrated that these are additions in the Priestly style which presuppose the bringing together of P and the non-Priestly text in Genesis–Numbers and the combination of Genesis–Joshua.
2005 [2000], Reinhard G. Kratz, translated by John Bowden, The Composition of the Narrative Books of the Old Testament, →ISBN, page 110
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveassociated with the priesthood or priests
adjectivebefitting or characteristic of a priest or the priesthood
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
priestly · adjective
- Middle Englishprestly
- Englishpriestly
From Middle English prestly; equivalent to priest + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Priestly · adjective
- Germanpriesterlich
- EnglishPriestly
Semantic loan from German priesterlich and Priesterschrift (“Priestly source”, literally “priest document”), so called because of the reconstructed source’s emphasis on cultic issues. See priestly.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian свещенически, жречески
- свещенически (svešteničeski)of or relating to priests
- жречески (žrečeski)of or relating to priests
German priesterlich
- priesterlichof or relating to priests
Irish sagartúil
- sagartúilof or relating to priests
Latin sacerdotālis
- sacerdotālisof or relating to priests
Polish kapłański
- kapłańskiof or relating to priests
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with priestly
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
priestly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/priestly
“priestly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/priestly. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “priestly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/priestly.
Source: priestly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.