- the collective body of men and women ordained as religious ministers, esp of the Christian Church
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cler•gy /ˈklɜrdʒi/USA pronunciation
n. [plural* used with a plural verb]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Religionthe group of appointed or ordained leaders in a religion, as distinguished from the laity.
cler•gy
(klûr′jē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -gies.
cler′gy•like′, adj.
- Religion, Pronounsthe group or body of ordained persons in a religion, as distinguished from the laity.
- Late Latin clericātus office of a priest; see cleric, -ate3), clergie, equivalent. to clerc cleric + -ie -y3, with -g- after clergé
- Old French clergé (
- Middle English clerge, clergie 1175–1225
- See collective noun.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
clergy /ˈklɜːdʒɪ/ n ( pl -gies)
'clergy' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
anticlerical
- archdeacon
- Becket
- benefit of clergy
- canonicals
- cathedral
- chancellor
- chaplain
- chapter
- choir
- church
- Church Army
- civil marriage
- cleric
- clerical
- clerical collar
- clericalism
- clericals
- cloth
- conference
- convocation
- curate
- dominie
- ecclesiastic
- Geneva bands
- glebe
- incumbent
- laity
- lay
- layman
- lay person
- laywoman
- locum tenens
- minister
- Nonjuror
- parson
- pastoral
- present
- presentation
- proctor
- prolocutor
- pulpit
- recession
- recessional
- rector
- residentiary
- reverend
- secular
- abbé
- almuce