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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Recent Examples of clergyperson
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
G. Jeffrey MacDonald, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clergyperson
Noun
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Jerry Brown left seminary before becoming a priest but made his Jesuit education central to his political identity — especially his frugality, environmentalism and preference for rehabilitation over incarceration.—
Joe Mathews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
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Or the priest electing to stay in the city and open his doors to at-risk youths even as most of his flock had fled to the suburbs.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Noun
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She was born into slavery in the North and later won her freedom, becoming an acclaimed speaker, preacher and activist.—
Jocelyn Frye,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
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According to the Daily Mail report, the preacher and Key exchanged a series of text messages in the spring of 2026 that his wife eventually read.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Robin, our hero, is the son of a country clergyman.—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
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The trio of vicars starts with James Norton as Sidney Chambers, the doe-eyed clergyman with a taste for cool jazz and clever women.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Noun
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James Stewart, the congregation’s pastor, was heartbroken at the loss of the historic building but echoed James’ sentiment.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
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And that’s how the part-time pastor met Leap Housing founder Bart Cochran, the man who is now his boss at the affordable housing nonprofit.—
Mark Dee
June 19,
Idaho Statesman,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clergyperson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clergyperson. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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