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.

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anticlerical British  

/ ˌæntɪˈklɛrɪkəl /

adjective

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

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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

While the once credulous Catherine thinks her daughter has suffered a psychotic break with reality, the anticlerical Joseph takes Teresa for a saint.

From New York Times

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

Clashes in the 1920s and '30s between anticlerical heirs of the Mexican Revolution and the Church slowed the drive because of concerns that women, who were deemed to be more pious than men, could hinder the government's revolutionary agenda, he said.

From Reuters

Then clashes between anticlerical heirs of the 1910-20 Mexican Revolution and the Church slowed the drive because of concerns that women, who were deemed to be more pious than men, could hinder the government's revolutionary agenda, he said.

From Reuters

For all its unpatriotic and anticlerical jibes, the movie is too expansively genial to be truly discomfiting.

From New York Times