Examples of prioress in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Marie, who becomes the prioress of the abbey at 17, begins a rise to power — or as much power as a woman is permitted — using her fellow nuns to fight off political and violent incursions.
—
Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Matrix by Lauren Groff Currents of violence and devotion coalesce around Marie de France, a 17-year-old sent to be the new prioress of a 12th-century English abbey.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
In response, the diocese said in a statement that the Holy See has acted toward healing the Arlington Carmel and the nuns in the community and not simply the former prioress and her former councilors.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024
For the senior members of the order — two successive prioresses and the conflicted but maternal assistant prioress, Mother Marie — the role of self-abnegation is a deep moral mystery, one that takes a lifetime to fully understand.
—Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2022
Seventeen-year-old Marie de France is cast out of the royal court to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey in medieval Europe and finds purpose and love in her newfound devotion to the sisters.
—Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2021
It’s set in the twelfth century, and is about a young Frenchwoman, Marie de France, the illegitimate offspring of royalty, who is sent to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine and becomes the prioress of an abbey.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2021
Siemen is the order's prioress, or leader.
—Laura Ly and Theresa Waldrop, CNN, 30 Jan. 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Matrix by Lauren Groff Currents of violence and devotion coalesce around Marie de France, a 17-year-old sent to be the new prioress of a 12th-century English abbey.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
In response, the diocese said in a statement that the Holy See has acted toward healing the Arlington Carmel and the nuns in the community and not simply the former prioress and her former councilors.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024
For the senior members of the order — two successive prioresses and the conflicted but maternal assistant prioress, Mother Marie — the role of self-abnegation is a deep moral mystery, one that takes a lifetime to fully understand.
—Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2022
Seventeen-year-old Marie de France is cast out of the royal court to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey in medieval Europe and finds purpose and love in her newfound devotion to the sisters.
—Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2021
It’s set in the twelfth century, and is about a young Frenchwoman, Marie de France, the illegitimate offspring of royalty, who is sent to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine and becomes the prioress of an abbey.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2021
Siemen is the order's prioress, or leader.
—Laura Ly and Theresa Waldrop, CNN, 30 Jan. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Prioress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prioress. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prioress
noun
pri·or·ess
ˈprī-ə-rəs 
: a nun who is head of a priory
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
