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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This connects to how the intelligentsia used to say AI art could never replace human art.—
James Barrat,
Big Think,
2 Sep. 2025
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All or nothing For most of the Russian nationalist intelligentsia, Alaska is less a jewel to be recovered than a warning against any concession to the West.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Jared Allen, an elite pass rusher in his day, spoke out and seemed to hint that McCarthy is better than Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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Next door to the station is a small residential compound that has been patrolled by Qatar’s elite Amiri Guard 24 hours a day since the beginning of the Gaza conflict.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clerisy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerisy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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