clergy
Americannoun
plural
clergiesnoun
Grammar
See collective noun.
Other Word Forms
- anticlergy adjective
- clergylike adjective
- proclergy adjective
Etymology
Origin of clergy
1175–1225; Middle English clerge, clergie < Old French clergé (< Late Latin clericātus office of a priest; cleric, -ate 3 ), clergie, equivalent to clerc cleric + -ie -y 3, with -g- after clergé
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.
Lacking both the respect of the clergy and Khomeini's personal popularity, the new supreme leader moved cautiously to build his own power base.
From BBC
No one else among the senior clergy was seen as qualified, and the idea of a so-called leadership council was rejected.
From Los Angeles Times
Cannons boomed from the forts lining the shore while merchants, clerks, clergy, lawyers, and omnibus drivers from Wall Street to the Bowery celebrated.
From Literature
Jackson promised to take leave to "revive my spirit and reconnect with my family", but the speed with which he returned to public life damaged his credibility with some clergy across America.
From BBC
Some clergy members joined protests, but the church largely shied from similar action at the highest levels.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
