cleric

[kler-ik]

noun

1. a member of the clergy.

2. a member of a clerical party.

3. (used with a plural verb),  clerics, half-sized or small-sized reading glasses worn on the nose, usually rimless or with a thin metal frame.

adjective

1. pertaining to the clergy; clerical.

cleric

/ ˈklɛrɪk /

noun

1. a member of the clergy

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleric¹

1615–25; < Late Latin clēricus priest < Greek klērikós, equivalent to klêr ( os ) lot, allotment + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleric¹

C17: from Church Latin clēricus priest, _clerk

Example Sentences

Hundreds of mourners walked with coffins draped in colourful cloth into the compound of the Arerti Mariam church while clerics conducted burial rituals.

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His followers gave him the title of imam, an unusual honour for a living Shia cleric and one bestowed on him in recognition of his work on behalf of the Shia community.

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A prominent Taliban cleric had publicly singled him out as an apostate — a traitor to Islam — placing a bullseye on his head.

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Although both men have since died, the political movement inspired by the late cleric remains highly active and is regularly targeted by the authorities.

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The crisis then escalated on Wednesday, when security services detained 16 people, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a senior cleric who leads the opposition Sacred Struggle movement.

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Related Words

• chaplain 
• clergyman 
• minister 
• priest 
• rabbi