as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church
clerics were sharply divided on the issue of whether the war was morally justified
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Recent Examples of cleric
In northern Bavaria sits Bamberg, a charming place with a beer story that dates to a medieval cleric who ordered townsfolk be given a free brew on the day of his death.
—
David Dickstein, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
In 1994 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was also a cleric with the rank of ayatollah, issued a fatwa forbidding the practice of self-flagellation.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 May 2026
The current spiritual leader is Ayatollah Mahdi Mirbaqiri, a highly influential senior cleric who was once seen as a possible candidate for Supreme Leader.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Perhaps the most sensitive matter is Iran, a nation of nasty clerics and old-time belligerents that declared war on America and Israel 47 years ago.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cleric
David Dickstein, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
In 1994 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was also a cleric with the rank of ayatollah, issued a fatwa forbidding the practice of self-flagellation.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 May 2026
The current spiritual leader is Ayatollah Mahdi Mirbaqiri, a highly influential senior cleric who was once seen as a possible candidate for Supreme Leader.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Perhaps the most sensitive matter is Iran, a nation of nasty clerics and old-time belligerents that declared war on America and Israel 47 years ago.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cleric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleric
Noun
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He was assigned to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Overland Park from 2009 to 2015, and in his early years as a priest was at three churches in Osage County.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
-
Coyote is an author, Zen Buddhist priest, and the voice of 12 Ken Burns documentaries.—
Time,
Time,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian and occasional preacher and missionary who held politically conservative views and had been struggling to find work.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
My dad was a Methodist preacher from a long line of them.—
John Archibald,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleric. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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