Definition of clerklynext
as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy a time when the clerkly duties of a country parson might include long rides on horseback to visit the more isolated members of the flock

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerkly
Adjective
  • Thaksin could be eligible for parole in May, his nephew is the party’s prime ministerial candidate.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
  • The referendum refers political reforms that include prime ministerial term limits, stronger checks on executive power and other safeguards preventing parliamentary power consolidation.
    Julhas Alam, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The bishops had already expressed concern about the lack of pastoral care in a fall statement strongly backed by Pope Leo XIV.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Farmer was raised in Bethelsklip, in South Africa’s Northern Cape, a pastoral region lovingly captured in the frame of cinematographer Gray Kotzé.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • However, the politician lacks the religious credentials of his father to lead a clerical regime and is not particularly popular in Iran.
    Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Political figures within Iran criticized the idea of handing over the supreme leader’s title based on heredity and thereby creating a clerical version of the rule of the shah, who was toppled during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
    Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Clerkly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerkly. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

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