prioress

[ prahy-er-is ]

noun

1. a woman holding a position corresponding to that of a prior, sometimes ranking next below an abbess.

ˈprioress

/ ˈpraɪərɪs /

noun

1. a nun holding an office in her convent corresponding to that of a prior in a male religious order

Gender Note

See -ess.

Other Words From

• sub·prior·ess noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prioress¹

1250–1300; Middle English prioresse < Old French. See prior ², -ess

Example Sentences

He had dozens of burly military veterans enforce his rules while the prioress and several nuns left.

From Seattle Times

The prioress of the order had taken her to meet the friar Robert, who was visiting from the Carmelite priory in Oxford, to see if he wanted anything to eat.

From BBC

“This could be the prioress, or maybe someone in the Dominican order who is over her, though it is possible archdiocesan officials have weighed in on the matter informally.”

From Los Angeles Times

They fret about prioress elections and daily expenses — “the high price of pins, the extravagance of little loaves, the wastage of candles” — more than they do the Black Death.

From New York Times

When “Matrix” opens, Marie, all of 17 years old, is appointed prioress of a dilapidated abbey, founded centuries earlier, where a few nuns remain scavenging for food.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• sister