noun
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a policy of upholding the power of the clergy
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the power of the clergy esp when excessively strong
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of clericalism
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.
He once used an unexpectedly shocking simile to denounce what he termed "hypocritical clericalism".
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2025
“To many in the church it is symbolic of deeper issues of clericalism and separation from the faithful,” retired King County Superior Court judge and Heal Our Church steering committee founder Terrence Carroll said.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 9, 2022
"Pope Francis renewed his support for me ... he repeated that he considered me a victim of hypocrisy and clericalism," Archbishop Michel Aupetit told the official Vatican News website.
From Reuters • Feb. 4, 2022
That comment refers to the clericalism in the Catholic church – a cult of officialdom that makes clerics particularly important.
From The Guardian • Feb. 14, 2020
His book is neither a panegyric on clericalism nor a libel on it.
From A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2 To the Close of the 19th Century by Saintsbury, George
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.
