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
Memes of celebration, handing out sweets, and taunts from a Shiite cleric who had forewarned last year that the strike was coming spread on Arabic social media.
—
Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 13 June 2025
Iran has employed Al-Mustafa academic and cultural centers in over 30 African countries to train clerics and religious leaders.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2025
By the 2000s, with the rise of a new cadre of clerics into the ranks of leadership, the existence of Jewish Iranians inside the country became an important symbol, especially in contrast with the absence of Jewish life in other Muslim countries in the region.
—Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025
China claims authority to approve the selection of clerics in other religions as well.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleric
Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 13 June 2025
Iran has employed Al-Mustafa academic and cultural centers in over 30 African countries to train clerics and religious leaders.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2025
By the 2000s, with the rise of a new cadre of clerics into the ranks of leadership, the existence of Jewish Iranians inside the country became an important symbol, especially in contrast with the absence of Jewish life in other Muslim countries in the region.
—Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025
China claims authority to approve the selection of clerics in other religions as well.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleric
Noun
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The building recently housed a rehabilitation center and before that was home to nuns and priests.—
Sophia Tiedge,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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Subsequently, Pope Francis granted SSPX priests a slow trickle of faculties, such as the ability to officiate marriages or perform the sacrament of absolution in limited circumstances.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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One example is the popular itinerant preacher known as the Public Universal Friend.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
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The 83-year-old was a preacher of 55 years from Kansas City, Mo., who rarely appeared without a suit and one of his many beloved ties.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleric. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
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