CLERGYPERSON Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

clergyperson

noun

ˈklər-jē-ˌpər-sᵊn

Definition of clergyperson

as in priest

a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church a clergyperson of your choice would be the best one to advise on this spiritual matter

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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.

Recent Examples of clergyperson What makes the family tradition sustainable in central Massachusetts, where the Vallelis now live, is a pastor-sharing arrangement between two congregations that couldn’t afford a full-time clergyperson on their own. — G. Jeffrey MacDonald, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergyperson

Noun

In the 1920s the Soviet biochemist Vladimir and the French Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin developed the idea of the noosphere as being the sphere of human reason or thought encapsulating the Earth.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 July 2026
Players from that 1951 side have strongly refuted the story, while the priest at its centre has never been identified.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Definition of priest

Noun

Such details include McCartney’s bare feet and opposite stride and the other members’ attire (Lennon’s white supposedly represents a clergyman, Starr’s black a mourner, and Harrison’s denim a gravedigger).

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 July 2026
Robin, our hero, is the son of a country clergyman.

— John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026

Definition of clergyman

Noun

One is in the church with the pastor expressing his anger about Lou being gone.

— Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
After spending 266 days in prison, Ezra Jin Mingri, the Christian pastor of the underground Zion Church in Beijing, arrived in the United States on July 5.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 28 July 2026

Definition of pastor

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clergymen

clergyperson

clergypersons

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“Clergyperson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergyperson. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of clergyperson

noun

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