Meaning & use
Hispanic priest
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Meanings
nouncountable
A priest who is Hispanic, especially one serving a Spanish-speaking community.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or a plural form, as in a Hispanic priest, two Hispanic priests.
Patterns
- a Hispanic priest
- Hispanic priests
- a Hispanic priest in something
The parish welcomed a new Hispanic priest who celebrates Mass in Spanish.
Several Hispanic priests in the diocese meet once a month to share ideas.
She interviewed a Hispanic priest about the growing congregation.
nouncountable
A priest of Hispanic origin or heritage, seen as a representative of that community.
Grammar: Often used with the to talk about this group as a whole, as in the Hispanic priest in popular culture.
Patterns
- the Hispanic priest
- Hispanic priests in something
In the novel, a Hispanic priest becomes the moral voice of the town.
The film shows a Hispanic priest torn between two cultures.
Word forms
| plural | Hispanic priests |
|---|
Common combinations
- a Hispanic priest
- A Hispanic priest led the procession through the neighborhood.
- Hispanic priests in the diocese
- Hispanic priests in the diocese often preach in both languages.
- appoint a Hispanic priest
- The bishop decided to appoint a Hispanic priest to the new mission.
- a young Hispanic priest
- A young Hispanic priest started a youth group at the church.
- serve as a Hispanic priest
- He served as a Hispanic priest in Texas for over twenty years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Latino priest
- Latino is often preferred in the US for people of Latin American descent and can include Brazilians, while Hispanic usually emphasizes Spanish-speaking background.
- Spanish-speaking priest
- This describes language ability rather than ethnic background, so it fits when the focus is on the language used in services.
Word family
- Hispanic adjective
- Connected with Spanish-speaking countries or their people.
- priesthood noun
- The position or life of a priest.
- priestly adjective
- Typical of or suitable for a priest.
Commonly confused: Hispanic priest or Catholic priest? Hispanic priest or Spanish priest?
Hispanic priest vs Catholic priest
Catholic names a branch of Christianity, while Hispanic describes ethnic or cultural background; a Hispanic priest may belong to any Christian denomination.
Hispanic priest vs Spanish priest
Spanish usually means from Spain or the language of Spain, whereas Hispanic covers Spanish-speaking people more broadly, especially in Latin America.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
A Hispanic priest needs the article a before the adjective-plus-noun phrase, so option 1 is correct. Option 2 is missing the article, option 3 wrongly suggests a specific known priest, and option 4 uses a before a pronounced /h/ sound, which is not standard.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Hispanic priest”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.