as in priests
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 clerics
Funeral ceremonies are expected to begin in Tehran and move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, then to Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace.
—
ABC News,
13 June 2026
The procession will move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, and then to Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace.
—
Munir Ahmed,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
The funeral ceremonies for Khamenei are expected to begin in Tehran, and the procession will move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, and then to Mashhad, his birthplace.
—
Munir Ahmed,
Fortune,
11 June 2026
The group’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, who died in 2021, was one of the country’s most radical clerics.
—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
The text was first reviewed by three clerics and then copied by scribes onto marble for stonemasons to chisel.
—
Ethan Teekah,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 May 2026
Perhaps the most sensitive matter is Iran, a nation of nasty clerics and old-time belligerents that declared war on America and Israel 47 years ago.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Analysts and clerics are keen to stress the overall importance of this visit to the continent.
—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
Leo spoke during a gathering of top bishops of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq, an Eastern Rite Catholic church whose clerics are in Rome to elect a new patriarch.
—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
ABC News,
13 June 2026
The procession will move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, and then to Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace.
—
Munir Ahmed,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
The funeral ceremonies for Khamenei are expected to begin in Tehran, and the procession will move to Qom, a stronghold of many senior Shiite clerics, and then to Mashhad, his birthplace.
—
Munir Ahmed,
Fortune,
11 June 2026
The group’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, who died in 2021, was one of the country’s most radical clerics.
—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
The text was first reviewed by three clerics and then copied by scribes onto marble for stonemasons to chisel.
—
Ethan Teekah,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 May 2026
Perhaps the most sensitive matter is Iran, a nation of nasty clerics and old-time belligerents that declared war on America and Israel 47 years ago.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Analysts and clerics are keen to stress the overall importance of this visit to the continent.
—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
Leo spoke during a gathering of top bishops of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq, an Eastern Rite Catholic church whose clerics are in Rome to elect a new patriarch.
—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerics
Noun
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More than 680 priests served in the diocese during the 75 years covered in the investigation.
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Many progressive priests and community members reject these exclusionary rules and quietly defy them.
Noun
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Revivalist preachers followed them.
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Comprising more than 300 folktales and legends from northern Norway, including many from the coastal Sámi and the Skolt Sámi of eastern Finland, this anthology shares narratives told by fishers, farmers, reindeer herders, lay preachers and teachers.
Cite this Entry
“Clerics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerics. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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