holy orders
Americannoun
-
(used with a singular verb) the rite or sacrament of ordination.
-
(used with a singular verb) the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister.
-
(used with a plural verb) the major degrees or grades of the Christian ministry.
plural noun
-
the sacrament or rite whereby a person is admitted to the Christian ministry
-
the grades of the Christian ministry
-
the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister
Etymology
Origin of holy orders
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the last year Pierce has been deposed from holy orders and he is no longer a priest.
From BBC
A bitter man, George Tennyson had been disinherited by his own father and forced into holy orders.
For Roman, who was once himself a soldier before taking holy orders, it was harder than most.
From BBC
In the Middle East, churches in Lebanon and Syria have already conferred holy orders on women, while at least one Palestinian woman is known to serve in the US.
From BBC
“His vocation is the holy orders in which he promised obedience, he vowed obedience to his bishop and his bishop’s successors,” she said.
From Washington Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
