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
She was nominated by a 17-member commission composed of clerics and lay people and her appointment was confirmed by King Charles III, who is the supreme governor of the church.
—
Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Otherwise disparate segments of Iranian society, such as the conservative Bazaari merchants hitherto largely loyal to the clerics and more liberal and secular Iranian youth, shared this overarching goal.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
But since 1979, the Islamic Republic has partially restored Azerbaijani influence, allowing clerics to address constituents in their native language and reintegrating Azerbaijan into central government in Tehran.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2026
Some clerics control enormous charitable foundations worth billions of dollars through donations from followers and budgets from the state, while others operate modest local mosques with minimal resources.
—Narges Bajoghli, Time, 13 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 Khamenei’s predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans calling for the downfall of the ruling clerics and demanding the leadership step aside.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
While the underlying reasons for the protests are economic, video geolocated by NBC News that circulated online Sunday showed crowds chanting against the country’s ruling clerics.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
Shiite clerics, Baluch fishermen, and Tehrani teenagers have all spent hours listening to Googoosh.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Otherwise disparate segments of Iranian society, such as the conservative Bazaari merchants hitherto largely loyal to the clerics and more liberal and secular Iranian youth, shared this overarching goal.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
But since 1979, the Islamic Republic has partially restored Azerbaijani influence, allowing clerics to address constituents in their native language and reintegrating Azerbaijan into central government in Tehran.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2026
Some clerics control enormous charitable foundations worth billions of dollars through donations from followers and budgets from the state, while others operate modest local mosques with minimal resources.
—Narges Bajoghli, Time, 13 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 Khamenei’s predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans calling for the downfall of the ruling clerics and demanding the leadership step aside.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
While the underlying reasons for the protests are economic, video geolocated by NBC News that circulated online Sunday showed crowds chanting against the country’s ruling clerics.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
Shiite clerics, Baluch fishermen, and Tehrani teenagers have all spent hours listening to Googoosh.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerics
Noun
-
Pastors, priests, rabbis, and imams are in the streets, courthouses, and places of worship defending immigrant communities.—
David Ostendorf,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
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For nearly a millennia and half, even in the centuries when physicians were beginning to supplant priests in treating the ill, epileptic convulsions (unexpected, frightening, enigmatic) remained the territory of the priest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Smith belongs to a generation of preachers who first came to prominence in the aughts.—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
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The Australian Federal Police are also looking into alleged hate preachers as part of their investigation and will execute further search warrants in the coming days, police commissioner Krissy Barrett said on Thursday.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clerics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerics. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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