clergy
Americannoun
noun
Grammar
See collective noun.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of clergy
1175–1225; Middle English clerge, clergie < Old French clergé (< Late Latin clericātus office of a priest; cleric, -ate 3 ), clergie, equivalent to clerc cleric + -ie -y 3, with -g- after clergé
Explanation
In the Christian church, the clergy is the entire class of religious officials, from priests to pastors to bishops and beyond. If you have a sense that your life path lies in helping others practice their faith, you should go into the clergy. Clergy comes from the word clerk, which in turn comes from cleric. If the only clerks you think of are those that work in shoe stores, think of it this way: when you join the ministry of a church, the idea is that you serve the church. Clergy is the word for all of the clerics combined, and is paired with the laity, which are all the people in the church who aren't in the clergy.
Vocabulary lists containing clergy
World Religions
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Content Summary 5.1: Causes of the Atlantic Revolutions
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam, for example, brought together Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish Americans who opposed the war because it violated the nation’s ideals and religious consciences.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
Clergy representing Catholic, Jewish, Episcopal and interfaith coalitions gathered Friday morning to demand an end to workplace raids and mass detentions.
From Salon • Nov. 16, 2025
Clergy leaders urged him to contact his family and let them know that he might be detained.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025
In her research about United Methodist ministers, Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, who leads Duke University’s Clergy Health Initiative, also found that making specific, Scripture-centered daily plans for mental, physical and spiritual health helps them flourish.
From Washington Times • Oct. 8, 2023
A few months later, Sarah published An Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
