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
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
Democrats and the public-health clerisy denounced President Trump for rushing Covid vaccines.
—Allysia Finley, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022
Only those the board licenses are admitted to the clerisy uniquely entitled to publicly discuss engineering.
—George Will, Twin Cities, 13 June 2017
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 24 Sep. 2022
Democrats and the public-health clerisy denounced President Trump for rushing Covid vaccines.
—Allysia Finley, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2022
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
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Thousands of outstanding members of the intelligentsia had perished in Stalin’s prisons and camps, but lifelines could nonetheless be established between those who came before and those who came after.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
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Popular opinion was also shaped by an overwhelmingly left-leaning intelligentsia created and shaped by the long national struggle against European imperialism.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Kovalchuk's comments show the Russian elite is likely to remain deeply anti-Western and sympathetic toward conspiracy theories for the foreseeable future.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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During the trial, Combs' lawyers acknowledged that the man once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez was at times violent in his relationships.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clerisy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerisy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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