as in intelligentsia
intellectuals considered as a social class
a society lacking a well-established clerisy with a strong commitment to democratic ideals
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Recent Examples of clerisy
Democrats and the public-health clerisy denounced President Trump for rushing Covid vaccines.
—
Allysia Finley, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022
They are ruled by a grizzled and sclerotic clerisy that funnels resources to its private army, the terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 24 Sep. 2022
All will be forgiven and forgotten by the clerisy of the moment.
—Barton Swaim, WSJ, 18 July 2021
The public-health clerisy also set boundaries for allowable discussion.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 26 May 2021
Rather, grace is bestowed by a racial-equity clerisy that undercuts its own power by doing so.
—Daniel Lee, WSJ, 12 Mar. 2021
Meanwhile, at school, the clerisy is enlisting children in a campaign to expose heretics and unbelievers.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 18 Oct. 2017
Only those the board licenses are admitted to the clerisy uniquely entitled to publicly discuss engineering.
—George Will, Twin Cities, 13 June 2017
Allysia Finley, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022
They are ruled by a grizzled and sclerotic clerisy that funnels resources to its private army, the terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 24 Sep. 2022
All will be forgiven and forgotten by the clerisy of the moment.
—Barton Swaim, WSJ, 18 July 2021
The public-health clerisy also set boundaries for allowable discussion.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 26 May 2021
Rather, grace is bestowed by a racial-equity clerisy that undercuts its own power by doing so.
—Daniel Lee, WSJ, 12 Mar. 2021
Meanwhile, at school, the clerisy is enlisting children in a campaign to expose heretics and unbelievers.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 18 Oct. 2017
Only those the board licenses are admitted to the clerisy uniquely entitled to publicly discuss engineering.
—George Will, Twin Cities, 13 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerisy
Noun
-
Dipping Toes in Populist Waters Mr. Hawley belongs to a conservative intelligentsia that includes Oren Cass, the influential founder and chief economist of the think tank American Compass.—
Robert Draper,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The Russian intelligentsia had once admired Ukraine, seeing in it the birthplace of the Muscovite dynasty and Orthodoxy.—
James Verini,
The New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
All of this is in the service of pushing more tax cuts for the rich, consolidating economic and political power in the hands of elites, and crushing the opposition to oligarchic rule.—
Jim Miller,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 June 2025
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Madison will reportedly portray twin sisters in a world where a mad prince (Prince Prospero in the original 1842 short story) welcomes wealthy elites into his castle as plague spreads across the land.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clerisy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerisy. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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