as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy
clerical duties such as providing spiritual counseling and leading Bible study classes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church
some of the state's most prominent clericals have spoken out against the measure
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clerical
ABC News,
8 June 2026
After the jury was dismissed on Monday, Left’s lawyer asked for a mistrial, citing an unusual clerical error that resulted in the jury filling out an outdated version of the verdict form.
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Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Some clerical tasks certainly disappeared or changed.
—
Christopher Marquis,
Time,
30 May 2026
Its clerical rulers, who put down a mass uprising at the start of the year, have faced no sign of organized opposition since the war began.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clerical
Adjective
Amid public outrage over the abuse crisis, Spain launched a reparations system earlier this year for clerical abuse cases too old to be prosecuted that requires the participation of the Catholic Church and the Spanish government.
—
ABC News,
8 June 2026
After the jury was dismissed on Monday, Left’s lawyer asked for a mistrial, citing an unusual clerical error that resulted in the jury filling out an outdated version of the verdict form.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Some clerical tasks certainly disappeared or changed.
—
Christopher Marquis,
Time,
30 May 2026
Its clerical rulers, who put down a mass uprising at the start of the year, have faced no sign of organized opposition since the war began.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clerical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerical
Adjective
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Yet the latest prime ministerial switch raises a fundamental question not just for Britain’s political future, but for that of other major European countries such as France and Germany.
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Under the agreement, at least four ministerial posts will change hands, but major strategies are expected to remain the same.
Noun
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Watching from the crowd was Father Taras Naumenko, a Ukrainian Orthodox priest, one of Tryzub's team chaplains and a passionate soccer goalie.
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Morelia is named after José María Morelos, a revolutionary priest and key leader of the Mexican War of Independence.
Adjective
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Jane Ragsdale’s best friend Christine Chenoweth, a pastoral counselor and former Presbyterian minister, says the South Fork of the Guadalupe is now lousy and wrecked and haunted.
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The enchanting woodsy and pastoral backgrounds when the action moves from the residential suburbs to the rural outskirts add to that poignancy, as do the dulcet tones of Randy Newman’s score.
Noun
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The librarian, in turn, accused the preacher of book theft.
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Son of a Preacherman, Choi's latest work, is an autobiographical look at the writer's upbringing in a family of preachers.
Noun
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Funeral ceremonies are expected to begin in Tehran and move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, then to Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace.
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The procession will move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, and then to Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace.
Cite this Entry
“Clerical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerical. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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