as in church
the group ordained to perform clerical functions in the Christian church
when people find out she's a member of the clergy, they suddenly change their manner
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Recent Examples of clergy
Despite their contributions and support, this is all in jeopardy, Arana said before attending a prayer vigil for them featuring Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and local clergy on June 10.
—
Terry Collins, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Chicago Tribune Many of Madigan’s backers are people with personal or political ties that run long and deep, such as current and former lawmakers, lobbyists, staffers, judges, campaign contributors, ward heelers, labor leaders, clergy and, of course, family.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compare d to other reporting professionals.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Leo's response will set the tone for his approach to Beijing’s increasingly overt challenges to Vatican authority, as well as its persecution of underground Catholic clergy in a country that is home to approximately 20 million Catholics.
—Aryn Baker, Time, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clergy
Terry Collins, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Chicago Tribune Many of Madigan’s backers are people with personal or political ties that run long and deep, such as current and former lawmakers, lobbyists, staffers, judges, campaign contributors, ward heelers, labor leaders, clergy and, of course, family.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compare d to other reporting professionals.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Leo's response will set the tone for his approach to Beijing’s increasingly overt challenges to Vatican authority, as well as its persecution of underground Catholic clergy in a country that is home to approximately 20 million Catholics.
—Aryn Baker, Time, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clergy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergy
Noun
-
Butler had become an attorney and an official at a prominent Los Angeles church.—
Christopher Goffard,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
-
Sheriff’s officials said a man was stabbed multiple times, and the wounded man staggered into a nearby church.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Vatican observers have long speculated that Francis saw Prevost as a potential successor, especially given his rapid rise and central role in shaping the modern episcopate.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
-
Amicable relations had long existed between the Catholic Church in Rome and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but the Roman episcopate embraced Mussolini’s regime and its aggressive foreign policy in the mid-1930s.—
Ian Campbell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Feb. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Clergy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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