as in priests
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church
as the leading ecclesiastic for his church in the state, the bishop must be beyond reproach in everything he does
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ecclesiastics
Noun
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The teachings of the two traditions align on many major issues, but the Catholic Church does not ordain women and generally does not allow priests to marry.—
Joshua McElwee,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025 -
The state visit concluded with King Charles attending a reception at the Pontifical Beda College, a seminary which trains priests from across the Commonwealth.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While preachers preached, D’Angelo learned ministry from the choir stand, leading the flock to epiphany one measure at a time.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
18 Oct. 2025
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Miner preachers and independent churches were central to the organization of miners in eastern Kentucky in the 1930s, too, during another period of violence between mine operators and miners over conditions, wages and unionization.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Analysts point to how the restrictions have held, despite high-level pushback by other prominent clerics, and multiple attempts on the ground to sidestep the rules.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
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That exquisitely rare skill — the ability to arrange a handful of ordinary notes in a way that makes time stop and pulses quicken — unites long-anonymous troubadours, symphonists, Broadway entertainers, earnest singer-songwriters, griots, and ancient clerics.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ecclesiastics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ecclesiastics. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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