1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

clergymen

noun

plural of clergyman
as in churchmen

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergymen
  1. priests
  2. preachers
  3. clerics
  4. deacons
  5. divines
Noun
  • In Taoist ceremonies during the festival, priests recite sacred scriptures and perform rites to help the deceased find peace and salvation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • There haven’t been any female popes, cardinals, archbishops or priests.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of priests
Noun
  • People of faith often embraced his work, and preachers sometimes cited it in sermons.
    — Courier Journal staff, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Politicians and preachers denounced them for blasphemy, perversion, and their loud support for civil rights.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of preachers
Noun
  • In Iraq, the faction earned rebukes from clerics who had previously supported global jihad as well as from more mainstream religious leaders.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • After six months of war, Iran’s leadership has coalesced around a hard core of military generals and clerics long entrenched in the ruling theocracy.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of clerics
Noun
  • Corle, 59, is one of the church deacons and works at nearby Eielson Air Force Base.
    — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Church deacons want it to be called Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, its previous name.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of deacons
Noun
  • Kropschot divines melodies in lines like a composer eking out a score.
    — Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of divines
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.

Browse Nearby Words

clergyman
clergymen
clergyperson
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clergymen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergymen. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All