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 group, formed in 1970 to oppose Vatican II modernizations, has quietly become a parallel church operating globally with 733 priests, 264 seminarians and 50 nationalities despite decades of schism.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026 -
Leo met Thursday with German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who — despite Fernández's letter — recently recommended that priests in his archdiocese use the German guidelines as a basis for their pastoral care.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Far from being a fringe belief system, masculinism has become the single most important force uniting the American right, bringing together an unlikely constellation of pastors, posters, senators, preachers, influencers, podcasters, and fanboys.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
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Badenoch has called for stronger enforcement, including deporting foreign preachers who are spreading hate in mosques and other institutions.—
Ariella Noveck,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The lawsuit echoes criticism that most commissioners are conservative Christian clerics and commentators; one is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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The group’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, who died in 2021, was one of the country’s most radical clerics.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ecclesiastics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ecclesiastics. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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