CLERGYPERSON Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

clergyperson

noun

ˈklər-jē-ˌpər-sᵊn

Definition of clergyperson

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

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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 Seven top clergypersons of the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the church head, Karekin II, have been charged with crimes related to the church’s refusal to restore a mutinous bishop. — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergyperson

Noun

But the priest begins to quietly resist, secretly returning the bodies to their families at great personal risk.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2026
The federal agents departed the hospital shortly after a priest appeared at the scene of the protest, video shows.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of priest

Noun

The preacher was Walter White, who led an Oregon City offshoot of the Followers of Christ, an Idaho sect that spurns medical treatment as a show of faith.

— Noelle Crombie, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2026
Growing up, the brothers spent much of their childhood traveling around the South with their father, a Pentecostal Church preacher, before eventually forming the band in Nashville in 1999, per American Songwriter.

— Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of preacher

Noun

Some years ago, the State met me in behalf of the Church, and commanded me to pay a certain sum toward the support of a clergyman whose preaching my father attended, but never I myself.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
But the heart of this production is the dramatic soprano Christine Goerke, who plays a deceased clergyman known as the Reverend.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of clergyman

Noun

Earlier this week, Reverend Jeff Hood, an Arkansas pastor, asked for Donalds to put a 6-month moratorium on executions.

— News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2026
Kiribati lawmaker Kaotitaake Rakoroa told news outlets the survivors were taken in by a local church pastor, who provided immediate shelter and care.

— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of pastor

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clergymen

clergyperson

clergypersons

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“Clergyperson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergyperson. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of clergyperson

noun

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