as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church
clerics were sharply divided on the issue of whether the war was morally justified
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 cleric
Local cleric Mufti Fazal had led funeral prayers at multiple locations since Friday morning.
—
Muhammad Sajjad, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
The novelty of clerics at Davos signals a deeper realignment.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
The real authority lies in the hands of Islamist clerics and militia leaders.
—Hadeel Oueis, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
The streets belonged as much to students, feminists, merchants, liberals, and industrial workers as to clerics.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleric
Muhammad Sajjad, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
The novelty of clerics at Davos signals a deeper realignment.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
The real authority lies in the hands of Islamist clerics and militia leaders.
—Hadeel Oueis, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
The streets belonged as much to students, feminists, merchants, liberals, and industrial workers as to clerics.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleric
Noun
-
Catholic priest Maximilian Kolbe (Polish actor Marcin Kwaśny) volunteers to die in place of another prisoner, joining nine others condemned by the Nazis, and urges hope and resistance through faith inside the suffocating cell.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The diocese, meanwhile, continues to see high-profile abuse cases involving priests.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One recent Sunday evening, about 200 filled a Cincinnati church where preachers from several faith backgrounds urged them to demand his freedom.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Their uncompromising moral clarity shaped the conscience of the West, later echoed by Christian preachers crusading for abolition, civil rights, and human dignity.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleric. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share