a person whose office it is to perform religious rites, and esp. to make sacrificial offerings.

(in Christian use)

a person ordained to the sacerdotal or pastoral office; a member of the clergy; minister.

(in hierarchical churches) a member of the clergy of the order next below that of bishop, authorized to carry out the Christian ministry.

a minister of any religion.

to ordain as a priest.

noun

clergyperson , cleric , curate , divine , ecclesiastic , elder , father , father confessor , friar , holy man , lama , man of god , man of the cloth , monk , padre , pontiff , preacher , rector , vicarnotes:a minister is commonly a person who leads the congregation of a protestant church; pastor is another word for priest or minister and reverend is a generic prefix for a christian leader , bishop , celebrant , chancellor , churchman , churchwoman , clergyman , clergywoman , dignitary , flamen , flamen (rom. antiq.) , hierarch , hieromartyr , hierophant , minister , padre (sp. amer. andindia) , pastor , pontifex , presbyter , priestess , rabbi , shaman , vicar