cleric

IPA/ˈklerɪk/
KK[klˈɛrɪk]IPA/ˈklerɪk/

cleric — noun

  • clericsingular
  • clericsplural

1. a person who has official authority in a church, mosque, temple, or other religi

1.nounC1
Definition

a person who has official authority in a church, mosque, temple, or other religious body, often guiding worshippers and leading services

Example

A young cleric welcomed Ada at the temple gate on Friday morning.

collocation: a young/senior/local cleric

Several Muslim clerics signed the open letter calling for peace in the region.

collocation: Muslim/Christian/Hindu cleric

Common collocations
  • senior cleric
  • Muslim cleric
  • young cleric
  • leading cleric
Synonyms
  • clergyman

    specifically male and usually Christian; cleric works across genders and faiths

  • minister

    usually Protestant Christian; narrower than the cross-faith 'cleric'

  • priest

    names a specific rank in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and some non-Christian traditions

  • imam

    Muslim prayer leader; one type of cleric, not a general synonym

Antonyms
  • layperson

    an ordinary member of a religious community without official authority

Grammar Patterns

a [adjective] cleric

Muslim/Christian/Buddhist cleric

Usage Note

Formal and slightly bookish; common in news reports about religion. Refers to ordained or officially recognised figures, not ordinary worshippers.

Common Mistakes

My grandmother is a cleric because she goes to church every Sunday.
My grandmother is a churchgoer because she goes to church every Sunday.
a cleric holds official religious office; an ordinary worshipper does not.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cleric is the broadest, most cross-faith term — it covers ordained or officially recognised religious figures in any tradition, and you will most often meet it in news writing. Clergyman is narrower: usually male and almost always Christian, so it sounds dated when applied to women or to non-Christian faiths. Priest names a specific rank within Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and a few non-Christian traditions, focused on leading worship and ritual. Minister is mainly Protestant Christian, emphasising preaching and pastoral care over ritual. Headlines might describe one person as 'the senior Muslim cleric in Karachi', 'a Catholic priest in Manila', or 'a Methodist minister in Atlanta', depending on which tradition you are pointing at.

cleric ↗clergyman ↗priest ↗minister ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • senior cleric
  • Muslim cleric
  • leading cleric
  • local cleric

Prepositions

  • cleric in [denomination/church]
  • cleric from [country/region]

Etymology

GreekLate LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Late Latin 'clericus', meaning a member of the clergy, which entered English through Old French. The same root also gave English the word 'clerk', because in the Middle Ages religious officials were the main people who could read and write.