clergy
/ˈklɜːdʒi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈklɜːrdʒi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈklər-jē/ (ame, mw)
clergy — noun
1. all the people who hold formal religious office in a church or similar faith com
all the people who hold formal religious office in a church or similar faith community, especially those who lead worship or care for believers in Christian traditions
The clergy gathered in the cathedral before the memorial service began.
pattern: the clergy + plural verb
After the flood, local clergy opened church halls for families needing beds.
collocation: local clergy
Saira interviewed senior clergy from three cities about the decline in attendance.
Many young people said the clergy should speak more clearly about housing costs.
At the funeral, the clergy walked in first, followed by the choir.
- priesthood
more formal and usually narrower, focusing on priests rather than the full group of religious officials
- ministry
can mean the work of serving a church as well as the people doing it, so it is less exact
- religious leaders
a plain broader phrase that can include leaders who are not formally ordained
- church leaders
more everyday and usually limited to Christian settings
- laity
ordinary members of a religious community who do not hold official religious office
文法句型
the clergy + plural verb
members of the clergy
local/senior clergy
用法筆記
Usually refers to the group as a whole rather than to one person. In British English it often takes a plural verb when the clergy are seen as individual people acting together.