cleric

noun

cler·​ic ˈkler-ik How to pronounce cleric (audio)
ˈkle-rik
: a member of the clergy

Examples of cleric in a Sentence

clerics were sharply divided on the issue of whether the war was morally justified
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Whatever the answer, clerics who want Francis to stay or go have been sending their own signals since the pope entered the hospital 12 days ago. Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025 Some of these popes led immoral lives; at one point, a 20-year-old was chosen as Pope Benedict IX, who then sold the office to another cleric. Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025 Mojtaba’s rise, or the rise of any other cleric, will thus prompt the country’s people to further pressure Tehran. Akbar Ganji, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2025 Many Christian clerics and secular rulers in western Europe believed that the popes needed to return to Rome, to distance papal authority from French influence. Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cleric

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin clericus

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cleric was in 1621

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cleric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleric. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

cleric

noun
cler·​ic ˈkler-ik How to pronounce cleric (audio)
: a member of the clergy

More from Merriam-Webster on cleric

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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