Synonyms of clerical

clerical 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkler-i-kəl 

as in ministerial

of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy

clerical duties such as providing spiritual counseling and leading Bible study classes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ministerial
• pastoral
• priestly
• sacerdotal
• ecclesiastical
• missionary
• ecclesiastic
• clerkly
• religious
• evangelical
• episcopal
• apostolic
• papal
• diocesan
• divine
• pontifical
• monastic
• patriarchal
• churchly
• canonical
• sacramental
• diaconal
• conventual
• rabbinic
• mendicant
• holy
• caliphal
• monachal

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• secular
• lay
• temporal
• nonclerical

clerical

2 of 2

noun

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

• priest
• preacher
• cleric
• clergyman
• bishop
• deacon
• minister
• ecclesiastic
• reverend
• pastor
• clerk
• prelate
• chaplain
• divine
• clergyperson
• dominie
• father
• pope
• priestess
• archbishop
• missionary
• monk
• diocesan
• churchman
• abbot
• rector
• dean
• deaconess
• religious
• vicar
• presbyter
• padre
• parson
• curé
• abbé
• monastic
• friar
• confessor
• monsignor
• shepherd
• evangelist
• Holy Joe
• curate
• missioner
• clergywoman
• mendicant
• archpriest
• revivalist
• sky pilot
• oblate
• high priestess
• high priest
• missionizer

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• layman
• secular
• layperson
• lay reader
• lector

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of clerical

Adjective

During Israel’s war with Iran, the clerical regime’s forces fired missiles into the Jordan Valley. — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026

Support for the clerical leadership is paper thin, analysts say, and the new Supreme Leader, Khamenei's son Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen in any new image since being wounded in the strike that killed his father. — Parisa Hafezi, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Until then, the new law provides for the superintendent to have several deputies and a skeleton clerical staff. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Same-day voter registration, however, is not available in more than half of the country, and provisional voting comes with a risk of not getting counted because of clerical errors. — Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 1 July 2026