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
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
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
-
The investigation involves local police, priests, and a house of God.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Before ever encountering the Warrens, Valak took out a convent, murdered some priests, and possessed a very hot Frenchman.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Law enforcement had detained 11 preachers that were approaching shoppers at a local mall.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Black leaders and preachers, like those involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, Stacey Abrams and myself, continue the fight for racial equality, using strategies that blend nonviolent resistance with digital platforms to achieve a broader reach.—
Kevin A. Slayton Sr,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clerics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerics. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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