cleric

noun

cler·​ic ˈkler-ik How to pronounce cleric (audio)
ˈkle-rik
: a member of the clergy

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Back in 1775, the grapes grown at the Schloss Johannisberg estate in Germany’s Rheingau region could not be picked until a permit was issued by the cleric leading the abbey, known as the Prince Abbot. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2025 The seventh prisoner, Saman Mohammadi Khiyareh, a Kurd, was convicted over the 2009 assassination of Mamousta Sheikh al-Islam, a pro-government Sunni cleric in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025 Iran will never bow to foreign pressure over its nuclear program, senior cleric Ahmad Khatami said Friday, warning that the country’s uranium enrichment is a nonnegotiable symbol of national sovereignty. Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 That exquisitely rare skill — the ability to arrange a handful of ordinary notes in a way that makes time stop and pulses quicken — unites long-anonymous troubadours, symphonists, Broadway entertainers, earnest singer-songwriters, griots, and ancient clerics. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cleric

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin clericus

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cleric was in 1621

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleric. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

cleric

noun
cler·​ic ˈkler-ik How to pronounce cleric (audio)
: a member of the clergy

More from Merriam-Webster on cleric

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!