as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy
clerical duties such as providing spiritual counseling and leading Bible study classes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church
some of the state's most prominent clericals have spoken out against the measure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clerical
Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2025
The Connecticut hospital is cutting 60 administrative and clerical jobs — about a third of them through layoffs — but has been able to finish the first five months of the new fiscal year with a modest surplus instead of continuing a two-year pattern of losses that topped $30 million.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration initially said that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was the result of a clerical error.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Zam’s website and social media expertise helped spread information about protests against the clerical regime and exposed widespread regime corruption.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clerical
Adjective
Parks and Rec was only nominated for Best Comedy Series twice — that seems like a clerical error.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2025
The Connecticut hospital is cutting 60 administrative and clerical jobs — about a third of them through layoffs — but has been able to finish the first five months of the new fiscal year with a modest surplus instead of continuing a two-year pattern of losses that topped $30 million.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration initially said that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was the result of a clerical error.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Zam’s website and social media expertise helped spread information about protests against the clerical regime and exposed widespread regime corruption.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clerical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerical
Adjective
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The approval process for the project is ministerial, meaning the applicant does not need to seek public input and that review by city staff does not need to include public hearings.—
Robert Vardon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2025
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Decades in the making Nearly two decades have passed since the European Space Agency formally committed to funding the ExoMars mission at a ministerial meeting in December 2005.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the previous episode, Mandy confessed to her priest and had guilty nightmares about her tricky predicament.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
16 May 2025
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Survivors organizations have accused him of allowing the Rev. James Ray, a priest accused of abusing minors and whose ministry had been restricted since 1991, to live at the Augustinian’s St. John Stone Friary in Hyde Park in 2000 despite its proximity to a Catholic elementary school.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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This double belonging—to the United States by birth, but to Peru by choice, service, and love—may give us some insight into Pope Leo’s pastoral identity.—
Raúl E. Zegarra,
Time,
17 May 2025
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Several bishops likened Pope Leo XIV to a fusion of Popes Francis and Benedict, noting his blend of intellectual rigor and pastoral warmth while highlighting his Augustinian background and canon law expertise.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
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Until his death in Pennsylvania last year, Gülen, a Turkish Muslim preacher who was accused of plotting a coup against President Recep Tayyip in 2016, was wanted as a terrorist leader in Turkey and Pakistan.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
14 May 2025
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David Aries aligns with David, a preacher and the leader of a group of cannibalistic survivors.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Here are just a few… Communal singing A hymn written by a dying Anglican cleric in the 1800s might not scream ‘pre-match razzmatazz’, but the pre-kick-off rendition of Abide With Me has become a staple of the build-up to FA Cup finals.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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The audiotape of the cleric’s offense turned out to be fake.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clerical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerical. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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