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
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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
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
The work is intended to backfill clerical, transportation, and other non-law-enforcement duties, freeing ICE officers for field enforcement.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
This inconsistent pattern shows seniors’ cost of living is not persistently higher than that faced by the broader urban population or urban wage and clerical workers.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
At age 16, Blair started working in a hospital over spring vacation, filing, pulling patient charts, and doing other clerical work.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clerical
Adjective
Most of the infractions cited by the FHSAA stemmed from a clerical oversight.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
The work is intended to backfill clerical, transportation, and other non-law-enforcement duties, freeing ICE officers for field enforcement.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
This inconsistent pattern shows seniors’ cost of living is not persistently higher than that faced by the broader urban population or urban wage and clerical workers.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
At age 16, Blair started working in a hospital over spring vacation, filing, pulling patient charts, and doing other clerical work.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clerical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerical
Adjective
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The plaintiffs claim his acts denied access to justice, violated ministerial duties and undermined the public’s trust.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Sep. 2025
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks at the opening ceremony of the China-CELAC Forum ministerial meeting at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on May 13 and U.S. President Donald Trump at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The investigation involves local police, priests, and a house of God.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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The most high profile of which is The Haunting of Hill House, but Midnight Mass, the story of a priest who arrives at a small island community performing miracles, is easily one of his best.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The designer debuted a new top-handle handbag, Le Valerie, named after his late mother, and pastoral variations on espadrilles.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
8 Sep. 2025
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Various studies including a recent research paper by the International Organization for Sustainable Development have stated that Chad is highly susceptible to desertification, with the Sahara Desert advancing threatening pastoral and agricultural communities.—
Aniebiet Ntui,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And throughout a 100-minute show, Cain recounted the story of a preacher’s daughter through wailing vocals, haunting drones, and meditative, languorous chants.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
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From there, the plot pretzels itself into typical noir convolution, giving us an excuse to meet all sorts of characters, not least a shady local preacher played by Chris Evans, who uses his almost embarrassingly all-American good looks to convey treacle and snake oil.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Mercury News,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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That ornery cleric was Moqtada al-Sadr, the son of Mohammad Sadiq al-Sadr, a grand ayatollah assassinated almost certainly by Saddam’s order in 1999.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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While some conservative clerics still frown upon women taking part in beauty pageants, many others in the Muslim community have been supportive of Hashwi.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clerical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerical. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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