priest ‧ hood /ˈpriːsthʊd/ BrE AmE noun
1 . the priesthood if someone is in the priesthood, they are a Christian priest:
He is celebrating 30 years in the priesthood.
There has been a decline in the number of people joining the priesthood.
2 . [countable usually singular, uncountable] all the priests of a particular religion or country:
an attempt to reduce the influence of the priesthood in the country