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
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Recent Examples of cleric
Ramadan and Eid is a time of joy for Muslims, but this year, the holiday mood was dampened, local clerics said.
—
Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Following the war, this cleric held a series of senior intelligence roles, including director general of intelligence for Qom province, starting in 1991.
—Mehrzad Boroujerdi, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
The second episode is largely confined to the dark walls which Irons’ next-door prisoner, a cleric known as the Abbé Faria, has spent years trying to painstakingly chisel his way through.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
These clerics have spent our money for years on missiles and drones, and on funding Hamas and Hezbollah.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cleric
Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Following the war, this cleric held a series of senior intelligence roles, including director general of intelligence for Qom province, starting in 1991.
—Mehrzad Boroujerdi, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
The second episode is largely confined to the dark walls which Irons’ next-door prisoner, a cleric known as the Abbé Faria, has spent years trying to painstakingly chisel his way through.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
These clerics have spent our money for years on missiles and drones, and on funding Hamas and Hezbollah.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cleric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleric
Noun
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The concierge specializes in Kyoto’s cultural events, and can help access exclusive ochaya with an interpreter, score tickets to the theater, book dinner reservations, a huge help in Kyoto, or help arrange meetings with monks and priests at the city’s Shinto shrines and temples.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
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Nonbinary people have often occupied unique positions in their societies, serving as priests, artists, and ceremonial leaders.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His father, much older than his mom, was a preacher who wanted his son to follow in his footsteps.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Moreover, as soon as Christianity began to spread outside his native land, Christian converts faced new situations in unexpected contexts, completely different from those of their founder, an itinerant Jewish preacher in the sparsely populated hinterlands of rural Galilee.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleric. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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