clergy
Americannoun
plural
clergiesnoun
Grammar
See collective noun.
Other Word Forms
- anticlergy adjective
- clergylike adjective
- proclergy adjective
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.
That isn’t Leo’s position, according to other senior clergy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
Lay members voted by 48 to eight in favour with two abstentions, with clergy voting 32 to seven with five abstentions, before bishops confirmed the passing of the bill with no objections.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
I first saw the Rev. E. Suzanne Wille’s name on an open letter signed by a wide range of Christian clergy members in Chicago.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
Nonprofessional counselors, including family and clergy, can still engage in this conduct, as can professional counselors outside of their paid practice.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
If Bobby did wish to become Catholic, it’s possible that aspiration was sufficient for him to have been accepted into the Church, at least by less conservative clergy.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
