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.
For example, 18th-century cleric and founder of Methodism John Wesley urged his followers to show their faith by dressing “neatly” and “plainly.”
From Salon • May 17, 2026
This week, prominent Sunni cleric Moulana Abdol Hamid called a “fair agreement” the only viable path forward and warned that those who seek to block negotiations would bear responsibility for the “homeland’s devastation.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Boshra married the son of Khamanei's longstanding gatekeeper and chief of staff, the cleric Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 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
The cleric begins with a prayer in Urdu, translating everything into English for the many non-Urdu speakers.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
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.
