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
Soliman is known as an elegant dresser, but his apartment was in bachelor-pad disarray, a reflection of his long hours at the hospital and the abruptness of his detention, said his friends, also clerics.
—
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
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
The novelty of clerics at Davos signals a deeper realignment.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
The real authority lies in the hands of Islamist clerics and militia leaders.
—Hadeel Oueis, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
The streets belonged as much to students, feminists, merchants, liberals, and industrial workers as to clerics.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The daily struggle of ordinary Iranians to make ends meet is a persistent challenge for the ruling clerics, who fear a revival of demonstrations that have erupted periodically by lower- and middle-income communities angry at enduring hardship.
—Elwely Elwelly, Reuters, 27 Aug. 2024
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
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
The novelty of clerics at Davos signals a deeper realignment.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
The real authority lies in the hands of Islamist clerics and militia leaders.
—Hadeel Oueis, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
The streets belonged as much to students, feminists, merchants, liberals, and industrial workers as to clerics.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The daily struggle of ordinary Iranians to make ends meet is a persistent challenge for the ruling clerics, who fear a revival of demonstrations that have erupted periodically by lower- and middle-income communities angry at enduring hardship.
—Elwely Elwelly, Reuters, 27 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerics
Noun
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The diocese, meanwhile, continues to see high-profile abuse cases involving priests.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
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O'Connor's Jud and Brolin's dueling priests are in the mix, but there are also a host of Wicks devotees.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Wesley is the eighth pastor in the church's more than 200-year history, and represents the fifth generation of Baptist preachers, according to information on the Alfred Street Baptist Church website.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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One recent Sunday evening, about 200 filled a Cincinnati church where preachers from several faith backgrounds urged them to demand his freedom.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clerics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerics. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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