anticlerical

American  

[an-tee-kler-i-kuhl, an-tahy-] / ˌæn tiˈklɛr ɪ kəl, ˌæn taɪ- /

adjective

1. opposed to the influence and activities of the clergy or the church in secular or public affairs.

---

anticlerical British  

/ ˌæntɪˈklɛrɪkəl /

adjective

1. opposed to the power and influence of the clergy, esp in politics

---

noun

1. a supporter of an anticlerical party

Other Word Forms

• anticlericalism
  noun
• anticlericalist
  noun

---

Etymology

Origin of anticlerical

First recorded in 1835–45; anti- + clerical

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anticlerical

The religious trend seen in Iran for years—the rise of anticlerical populist Shiism among those who still believe—may gain even more strength.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

Palma is lighthearted, ironic, amusing and anticlerical by nature, and in his writing he makes fun of the sumptuous interiorities of viceroys and courtesans.

From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

Although the leaders of many anticlerical organizations were deemed heretics and suppressed by church leaders, they nevertheless laid the groundwork for the sixteenth-century religious revolution known as the Protestant Reformation.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

And though many of the tougher anticlerical laws have been eased in modern times, church-state separation remains entrenched as a core political concept.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 18, 2019

“But,” queried the puzzled Josè, “how could Wenceslas, a priest, profit by an anticlerical war?”

From Carmen Ariza by Charles Francis Stocking

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---