clergywoman

noun

Definition of clergywomannext
as in clergyman

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 clergywoman Patterson, an ordained clergywoman with a background in healthcare, joined the Legislature via a special election in 2020. — oregonlive, 8 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergywoman
  1. clergyman
  2. priestess
  3. deaconess
  4. bishop
  5. churchman
  6. clergyperson
  7. priest
  8. archbishop
Noun
  • Such details include McCartney’s bare feet and opposite stride and the other members’ attire (Lennon’s white supposedly represents a clergyman, Starr’s black a mourner, and Harrison’s denim a gravedigger).
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 July 2026
  • Robin, our hero, is the son of a country clergyman.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of clergyman
Noun
  • Additionally, costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones, who is also a Mauritian priestess, brought her expert-level knowledge of color and the spiritual culture to the costumes and set.
    — Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Women and girls in all corners of this world are accustomed to, and even expect, danger, including the priestess of Athena (Zendaya) whom Odysseus’ men behead during their sack of Troy.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026
Definition of priestess
Noun
  • Then in 1964, Parks became a deaconess in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
  • In her younger years, Webb was an avid churchgoer in Baltimore, Maryland alongside her father, a deacon, and her mother, a deaconess, who met in a church choir.
    — Robyn Mowatt, ELLE, 22 June 2023
Definition of deaconess
Noun
  • Man of books and learning Several of the videos show Athanasius of Alexandria, a fourth-century bishop and theologian traditionally considered one of the church fathers.
    — Denva Gallant, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
  • Juan José Gerardi Conedera (born December 27, 1922, Guatemala City, Guatemala—killed April 26, 1998, Guatemala City) was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and human rights activist.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
Definition of bishop
Noun
  • Meanwhile, churchmen claimed the authority to restrain violence, encouraged just wars and threatened violent behaviors with spiritual sanctions.
    — Joëlle Rollo-Koster, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Not all birth rituals depended on the intercession of a saint or the authority of a churchman.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of churchman
Noun
  • 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
Definition of clergyperson
Noun
  • When 70 chickens at a local farm lay 128 eggs in just one night after the arrival of a red helmet biker Emanuel, the event is described as a miracle and Emanuel hailed by the local priest as a prophet of divine powers.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Moretta is 10 years past the customary retirement age for Catholic priests.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of priest
Noun
  • The archbishop is elected by representatives of the church’s dioceses and clergy and serves as the principal spokesperson for the province in national and international affairs.
    — Stephanie TriplettAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The mother of the former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was taken; so were an Anglican archbishop and his wife.
    — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of archbishop

Browse Nearby Words

clergypersons
clergywoman
clergywomen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clergywoman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergywoman. Accessed 16 Aug. 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 zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All