CLERGYPERSON Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

clergyperson

noun

ˈklər-jē-ˌpər-sᵊn

Definition of clergyperson

as in priest

a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church a clergyperson of your choice would be the best one to advise on this spiritual matter

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of clergyperson Seven top clergypersons of the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the church head, Karekin II, have been charged with crimes related to the church’s refusal to restore a mutinous bishop. — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2026 What makes the family tradition sustainable in central Massachusetts, where the Vallelis now live, is a pastor-sharing arrangement between two congregations that couldn’t afford a full-time clergyperson on their own. — G. Jeffrey MacDonald, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergyperson

Noun

The Vatican has long looked the other way when priests were accused of abuse involving adults, especially if the priests were bishops.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Jeremy Irons co-stars as Jesuit priest Father Gabriel, who challenges Mendoza to undergo penance.

— Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of priest

Noun

The film chronicled Gortner’s youth as a Pentecostal preacher in the American South and exposed the deceptive practices used to bilk believers out of their money.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
In the halcyon days of the televangelists, when Jim Bakker stood shoulder to shoulder with fire and brimstone preachers such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Jimmy Swaggart, the collection plate always seemed bottomless.

— Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of preacher

Noun

The seeds are then planted in California, where Eddie Anderson, a clergyman, political organizer and the founder of Freedom Farms Collective, helps oversee their growth.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Costco ditches its Kirkland beer Pope Leo XIV, who grew up listening to popular American television preacher Archbishop Fulton Sheen, praised his fellow Illinois clergyman as an inspiration today on the eve of Sheen’s beatification.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of clergyman

Noun

Caleb Flynn, a pastor who competed on American Idol season 12, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, AP News reports.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Bakker was forced to resign from his empire, turning over operations to pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of pastor

Browse Nearby Words

clergymen

clergyperson

clergypersons

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“Clergyperson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergyperson. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of clergyperson

noun

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