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
In northern Bavaria sits Bamberg, a charming place with a beer story that dates to a medieval cleric who ordered townsfolk be given a free brew on the day of his death.
—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
In 1994 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was also a cleric with the rank of ayatollah, issued a fatwa forbidding the practice of self-flagellation.
—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 May 2026
The cleric’s funeral was attended by about 10 million people.
—
USA Today,
19 May 2026
The current spiritual leader is Ayatollah Mahdi Mirbaqiri, a highly influential senior cleric who was once seen as a possible candidate for Supreme Leader.
—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cleric
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
In 1994 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was also a cleric with the rank of ayatollah, issued a fatwa forbidding the practice of self-flagellation.
—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 May 2026
The cleric’s funeral was attended by about 10 million people.
—
USA Today,
19 May 2026
The current spiritual leader is Ayatollah Mahdi Mirbaqiri, a highly influential senior cleric who was once seen as a possible candidate for Supreme Leader.
—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cleric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleric
Noun
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Survivors have fought for a full public account of priests, with San Francisco the only diocese in the state that has not released such a list of clergy abuse offenders.
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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.
Noun
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The dynamic duo of Jonda Valentine, an artist and daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, and her longtime friend Christa Suppan, who started as a bartender when Lipstick first opened, share co-ownership of the two bars.
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The street preacher asks if someone could be cited if a transgender person is offended if they are misgendered by another person.
Cite this Entry
“Cleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleric. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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