clergy
[noun]
Synonyms: priesthood, churchmen, clergymen, clerics, holy orders, ministry, the cloth

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English Thesaurus: priest, bishop, vicar, preacher, minister, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

cler‧gy /ˈklɜːdʒi $ ˈklɜːr-/ noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: clergie, from clerc; ⇒ clerk¹]
the clergy [plural] the official leaders of religious activities in organized religions, such as priests, rabbis, and mullahs ⇒ clerical

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

priest someone who is specially trained to perform religious duties and ceremonies in the Christian church:
a Catholic priest
a Buddhist priest
Women priests are much more common these days.
The priest who married us was very friendly and helpful.
bishop a priest of high rank in some branches of the Christian church, who is the head of all the churches and priests in a large area:
the Bishop of Oxford
a meeting of bishops
vicar a priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a church in a particular area:
our local vicar
preacher someone who gives the sermon (=a religious talk as part of a church service) in some Protestant churches:
a Methodist preacher
minister the formal word for any priest in some branches of the Christian church:
In 1843, 450 ministers of the church broke away from the established church of Scotland.
chaplain someone, especially a priest, who takes care of the religious needs of an organization such as a college, hospital, prison, or the military:
the prison chaplain
pastor American English someone who is in charge of the prayers, ceremonies etc in some branches of the Protestant church:
a Baptist pastor
rabbi the person who is in charge of the prayers, ceremonies etc in the Jewish religion:
Israel’s chief rabbis
mullah a Muslim teacher of law and religion:
The people turned to their traditional leaders, the mullahs.
holy man someone who is treated with great respect by people who belong to a religion:
A Sadhu, or Hindu holy man, was performing yoga on the banks of the River Ganges.
the clergy the official leaders in organized religions, such as the priests, rabbis, and mullahs:
Around 30 members of the clergy gathered for the meeting.
clergyman a male member of the clergy – used especially in the past:
His youngest son decided to become a clergyman.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲