holy orders
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holy order
also Holy Ordern. Ecclesiastical
1. often Holy Orders
a. The sacrament or rite of ordination.
b. The rank of an ordained Christian minister or priest.
2. See major order.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
holy orders
pl n
1. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the sacrament or rite whereby a person is admitted to the Christian ministry
2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the grades of the Christian ministry
3. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ho′ly or′ders
n.pl.
1. (used with a sing. v.) the rite of ordination.
2. (used with a sing. v.) the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister.
3. the degrees of the Christian ministry.
[1350–1400]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Translations
holy orders
npl → ordini mpl (sacri)Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995