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churchman

American  
[church-muhn] / ˈtʃɜrtʃ mən /

noun

  • churchmen
    plural
  1. an ecclesiastic; clergyman.

  2. an adherent or active supporter of a church.

  3. British. a member of the Established Church.


churchman British  
/ ˈtʃɜːtʃmən /

noun

  1. a clergyman

  2. a male practising member of a church

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of churchman

1350–1400; Middle English. See church, -man


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.

See Examples For:

Drew was a pious churchman who specialized in insider trading, which wasn’t only legal, but made him “reliable” in the eyes of the first credit agency in America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Francis encouraged people to pray to the newly beatified churchman to “obtain for us the smile of the soul.”

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 4, 2022

But there’s no way to know who determined the imagery, conquered artist or conquering European churchman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2021

As a high-profile black churchman he was inevitably drawn into the struggle against white-minority rule but always insisted his motives were religious, not political.

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2021

My dad gave him a firm shake and a tight-lipped nod, and the churchman headed out.

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds

Few churchmen will explicitly promote pacifism as the only proper Christian option.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

An 1850 issue of The Dublin University Magazine said beaver tail was usually eaten during Lent by the "strict churchmen of Northern Germany," while the Canadian Journal of Industry, Science and Art wrote:

From Salon ● Feb. 25, 2023

I don’t mess with churchmen or my family.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 15, 2023

Jesus “shows us that a new way is possible: a way of forgiveness and freedom, which enables us humbly to see God in each other, even in our enemies,” the trio of churchmen wrote.

From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2022

“You would think,” Skarpi’s voice rolled out like thick honey, “fine churchmen such as yourselves could find better things to do than arresting storytellers and extorting money from honest men.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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