plural clergies
1
: a group ordained to perform pastoral or sacerdotal functions in a Christian church
Members of the clergy have been invited to participate in an interfaith service.
2
: the official or sacerdotal class of a non-Christian religion
Buddhist clergy
Examples of clergy in a Sentence
Local clergy have been invited to participate in an interfaith service.
a member of the clergy
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary and Joseph gaze at him from behind gas masks, a nod to the recent clashes between demonstrators – including clergy – and law enforcement outside the nearby immigration facility.
—
Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
The Michigan Attorney General's Office has issued the fifth of what will eventually be seven detailed reports on the topic of Catholic church clergy abuse in the state, this time focusing on the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
The Justice Department wants that to be air-tight, insisting journalists, protesters and clergy members can’t file lawsuits claiming new constitutional violations by immigration agents.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.
—Simon Akam, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clergy
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Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
The Michigan Attorney General's Office has issued the fifth of what will eventually be seven detailed reports on the topic of Catholic church clergy abuse in the state, this time focusing on the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
The Justice Department wants that to be air-tight, insisting journalists, protesters and clergy members can’t file lawsuits claiming new constitutional violations by immigration agents.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.
—Simon Akam, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clergy
Cite this Entry
“Clergy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clergy. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clergy
noun
cler·gy
ˈklər-jē 
plural clergies
: the group of religious officials (as priests, ministers, or rabbis) specially prepared and authorized to conduct religious services
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