clergyman

noun

cler·​gy·​man ˈklər-jē-mən How to pronounce clergyman (audio)
plural clergymen
: a member of the clergy

Examples of clergyman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
If clergymen are defrocked and lawyers are disbarred, then alcoholics are delivered, hairdressers are distressed, and pornographers are deluded. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025 Kirchner had, a year earlier, backed sanctions for clergymen who publicly opposed the government’s human rights policies, including his decision to annul laws pardoning dictatorship-era atrocities. Federico Perelmuter, The Dial, 13 Mar. 2025 The emails, sent from Saints accounts, don’t specify which clergymen were removed from the list or why. Brett Martel, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025 In 1781, a French clergyman named Antoine Court de Gébelin claimed to have discovered the ancient Book of Thoth while attending a stylish salon in Paris. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clergyman

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clergyman was in 1577

Cite this Entry

“Clergyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clergyman. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

clergyman

noun
cler·​gy·​man ˈklər-ji-mən How to pronounce clergyman (audio)
: a member of the clergy

More from Merriam-Webster on clergyman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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