clergy
English · Thesaurus
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clergy
- /ˈklɜːdʒi/ UK
- /ˈklɝd͡ʒi/ US
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)dʒi
Where it comes from
From Middle English clergie (attested in the 13th century), from Old French clergie (“learned men”), from Late Latin clēricātus, from Latin clēricus (“one ordained for religious services”), from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós, “of the clergy”). Equivalent to cleric + -ate.
noun clergies
-
A body of persons, such as priests, who are trained and ordained for religious service.
Today we brought together clergy from the Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, and Reformed traditions for ecumenical dialogue.
Similar: first estate, spiritualty, third sex, clergy, spirituality
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: clergyman, cleric, priesthood, ecclesiastical, clerical, church, religious, religion, scholar, cloth, monks, bishops, bonzes, chaplains, churches, clergymen
Translations
Every language
noun people trained to officiate at religious ceremonies and services
| Español | clero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 성직자 seongjikja |
| 日本語 | 聖職者 seishokusha |
| 中文 | 神職人員 /神职人员 shénzhí rényuán, 圣职者 shèngzhízhě, 聖職者 /圣职者 shèngzhízhě |
| Português | clero |
| Français | clergé |
| Deutsch | Geistlichkeit, Klerus |
| Italiano | clero |
| Ελληνικά | κλήρος klíros, ιερατείο ierateío |
| Română | cler |
| Русский | духове́нство duxovénstvo |
| Tiếng Việt | tư tế, hàng giáo sĩ, tăng lữ |
| العربية | إكْلِيرُوس ʔiklīrūs |
Talk about this word "clergy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/clergy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. clergy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/clergy "clergy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/clergy.Cite this
@misc{clergy_2026,
title = {clergy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/clergy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
