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
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
The discussion of possible intervention comes as Iran’s clerical leadership is facing the biggest anti-government protests since 2022.
—Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
The brief speech was aired on state television after the most intense night yet in the wave of unrest, which began in protest at the country's ailing economy but has grown into a broader challenge to the ruling clerical regime.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
Many of the Pueblos focused their animosity on the clerical authorities who justified the brutality of the Spanish conquest.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clerical
Adjective
The economic pressure has reignited many longstanding grievances with the Islamic Republic's clerical establishment, marking the most expansive civil unrest in the country in several years.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
The discussion of possible intervention comes as Iran’s clerical leadership is facing the biggest anti-government protests since 2022.
—Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
The brief speech was aired on state television after the most intense night yet in the wave of unrest, which began in protest at the country's ailing economy but has grown into a broader challenge to the ruling clerical regime.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
Many of the Pueblos focused their animosity on the clerical authorities who justified the brutality of the Spanish conquest.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clerical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerical
Adjective
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Members of the transition are being accused of prioritizing their hold on power, and in some cases negotiate what critics describe as golden parachutes with cash payouts, ministerial appointments and immunity from charges of corruption.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Government and industry alignment To manage the program, South Korea recently set up an inter-ministerial coordination body bringing together defense, industry, and aviation authorities.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
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There is a priest; there is the Word, a term used in Christianity to refer to Christ and to Holy Scripture; there is God, whom the priest calls love; there is a baby and a cross, bookending the life of Christ.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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Estelle is forced into relentless negotiations to save the lives of inmates and prison personnel including the prison’s priest (Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus) and librarian (Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus).—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Previous discoveries of cremations in Africa date to pastoral neolithic herders from 3,500 years ago or later food-producing societies with higher population densities, which made the discovery even more unexpected, the researchers said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
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The Ford Complex brings British grandeur to a pastoral Georgia scene thanks to Neo-Gothic architecture inspired by Oxford University’s Christ Church College.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One of the men, like Baldwin, had been a boy preacher.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
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But some believe a traveling, apocalyptic preacher convinced her that killing Noah, John, Paul, Luke and Mary was the only way to save them from eternal damnation.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Many chanted support for Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the Shah, or King, deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the clerics to power.—
Roxana Saberi,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Iran has been a theocracy since 1979, when clerics toppled a secular monarch allied with the West, leading to the formation of the Islamic Republic led by Khomenei.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clerical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerical. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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