cleric
Americannoun
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a member of the clergy.
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a member of a clerical party.
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(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
noun
Etymology
Origin of cleric
1615–25; < Late Latin clēricus priest < Greek klērikós, equivalent to klêr ( os ) lot, allotment + -ikos -ic
Explanation
A religious official or member of the clergy is also known as a cleric. The priest in an Episcopal church is a cleric, and so is a Muslim imam. The term cleric is less common than clergyman and clergywoman, but when you're talking about a Christian or Muslim religious leader, it's a great word to use. Cleric comes from the Latin clericus, "priest," and its Greek root klēros, "inheritance or heritage." It shares these roots with clerk, a word that was originally a synonym of cleric but today more often means "a person working in an office."
Vocabulary lists containing cleric
The Golden Compass
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The Suffix -ic, Part 3
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Unwind
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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.
Born in Najaf, Iraq in 1957 to a prominent Shia cleric who was close to the Islamic Republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Larijani's family has been influential within Iran's political system for decades.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
Worse yet, Iran’s government tapped hard-line cleric Mojtaba Khamenei—son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—to be its new leader.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
His comments came amid reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, a hard-line cleric and son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would likely be the country’s next supreme leader.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
The 56-year-old cleric largely kept a low profile during his father's rule, but there were longstanding rumours about his influence as a gatekeeper to the late supreme leader.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
The school’s instructors were priests from the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, an order dedicated to a seventeenth-century French cleric known for his sunniness and kindness who is sometimes called the “gentleman saint.”
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
