clergy
English
editEtymology
editFrom Middle English clergie (attested in the 13th century), from Old French clergié (“learned men”), from Late Latin clēricātus, from Latin clēricus (“one ordained for religious services”), from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós, “of the clergy”).
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈklɜːdʒi/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈklɝd͡ʒi/
Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)dʒi
Noun
editclergy (plural clergies)
- Body of persons, such as priests, who are trained and ordained for religious service.
- Today we brought together clergy from the Wiccan, Christian, New Age and Islamic traditions for an interfaith dialogue.
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
- Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editpeople trained to officiate at religious ceremonies and services
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References
edit- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “clergy”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kelh₂-
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)dʒi
- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)dʒi/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Collectives
- en:Religion