cleric

noun

cler·​ic ˈkler-ik 

ˈkle-rik

: a member of the clergy

Synonyms of cleric

• priest
• preacher

Examples of cleric in a Sentence

clerics were sharply divided on the issue of whether the war was morally justified

Recent Examples on the Web

Top officials appear as the crowd size swells Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old Shiite cleric, led the prayers at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla mosque for the late Khamenei and family members killed in the strike. — Nasser Karimi, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026

Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old Shiite cleric, led the prayers at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla for the late Khamenei his family members killed in the strike. — Nasser Karimi, Fortune, 5 July 2026

Funeral includes prayers and calls for revenge Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old Shiite cleric, led the prayers at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla for Khamenei and his late family members. — Nasser Karimi, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Revolutionary Guard members and clerics mourn on the esplanade of the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 3 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin clericus

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cleric

• derrick
• eric
• ferric
• steric
• xeric
• allosteric
• amphoteric
• anomeric
• atmospheric
• chromospheric
• climacteric
• congeneric

Kids Definition

cleric

noun

cler·​ic ˈkler-ik 

: a member of the clergy