clergy
Americannoun
-
clergies
plural
noun
Grammar
See collective noun.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Lowe, who later became a bishop, had been an enthusiastic supporter of NOS and waved away concerns from fellow clergy as early as 1992.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
The cemeteries, neighborhood councils and clergy leaders had opposed the loss of motor vehicle lanes, saying it would cause a traffic nightmare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Normally, when a death occurs inside a cellblock, facility executives dispatch clergy, rehabilitation coordinators, and mental health counselors to conduct psychological welfare checks.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
“And if their organizations could not get their people to come serve on a clergy visa, that was the most unfortunate message they could possibly send.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
But the Church fathers who initiated rituals that reflect a shared priesthood of laity and clergy should not be surprised by the independence of modern Catholics.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
The clergies of Whitehaven, Egremont, Seascale, Gosforth and surrounding areas have met a number of times since the shootings.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2011
Can kings or clergies alter The crackle on one plate?
From Rhymes a la Mode by Andrew Lang
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.
