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
Among the members of the clergy, Imam Taha Hassane stood with us.
—
Michael Pham, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
The clergy specifically placed the handles of the tall ark at the bottom, so that even preschoolers would be able to open it.
—Rachel Kraus, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
The site, now 350 acres, dates back to 1928 and is the final resting place for many Catholic families along with clergy who served in Metro Detroit.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 May 2026
During the service, various clergy members read from Scripture, including the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, and the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians, which calls for unity in the church.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clergy
Michael Pham, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
The clergy specifically placed the handles of the tall ark at the bottom, so that even preschoolers would be able to open it.
—Rachel Kraus, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
The site, now 350 acres, dates back to 1928 and is the final resting place for many Catholic families along with clergy who served in Metro Detroit.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 May 2026
During the service, various clergy members read from Scripture, including the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, and the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians, which calls for unity in the church.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clergy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergy
Noun
-
The husband and wife's community service began with a step of faith among fellow church members.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
There are two dogs, for example, in Bartholomeus van Bassen’s painting of an imagined church interior with the tomb of William the Silent (pictured above, 1620).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
The diaconate represents the Church’s third degree of holy orders, below the presbyterate, or priests, and episcopate, or bishops.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
5 Dec. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Clergy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergy. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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