as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church
a clergyperson of your choice would be the best one to advise on this spiritual matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of clergyperson
What makes the family tradition sustainable in central Massachusetts, where the Vallelis now live, is a pastor-sharing arrangement between two congregations that couldn’t afford a full-time clergyperson on their own.
—
G. Jeffrey MacDonald, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2020
G. Jeffrey MacDonald, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergyperson
Noun
-
What to expect at the installation Mass The longer-than-normal Mass will have a large attendance with many religious figures such as bishops, priests, deacons and other guests.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Hundreds of visitors have visited the chapel in recent days to take photos of the image, the parish priest Father Daniele Micheletti said.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jim Sawyer, a gentlemanly preacher and city council member whose public service had been winding towards a peaceful conclusion, was asked to replace him.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Scott said in a statement of his father playing multiple roles as a preacher, priest or pastor.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The clergyman connected Webster with another church member who was a criminal-defense lawyer.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
-
With intact skin and tissue, the mummified body, thought to be an 18th century clergyman, had drawn speculation of healing properties and even rumors of being poisoned.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Rae Chen Huang, a housing rights advocate and ordained pastor, has emerged as one of the most left-leaning candidates in the race, calling for sweeping changes to the city’s housing, public safety and governance systems.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Dawn Baldwin Gibson is a pastor in New Bern, North Carolina.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clergyperson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergyperson. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
