What does cleric mean?
A cleric is a priest, minister, or other formally ordained member of the clergy — someone who holds an official religious office within an organized faith. The word is deliberately broad and neutral: unlike "priest" or "imam," it does not indicate a particular denomination, tradition, or gender, which makes it invaluable in journalism and formal writing when referring to religious leaders of any kind. One might speak of a senior cleric condemning violence, a high-ranking cleric visiting a war zone, or local clerics calling for calm. The term carries no strong connotation of praise or criticism; it simply identifies professional religious standing. Historically interesting is its kinship with "clerk": both derive from the same Latin word for a churchman, because in medieval Europe literacy was largely confined to those in holy orders, so the words for reader, scribe, and clergyman shared a single root before drifting apart in meaning.
nounA priest or other member of the clergy, especially one holding an official position within a religious organization.
- A priest, minister, or other ordained member of the clergy.
- More broadly, any official religious functionary within an organized religion.
"The senior cleric delivered a message of peace to the gathered congregation."
"The young cleric spent his days tending to the parish's poorest families."
"Government officials met with prominent clerics to discuss reforms affecting religious schools."
Regular plural; commonly used in news writing to refer to groups of religious officials across denominations.
"Hundreds of clerics attended the interfaith conference."
"Clerk" and "cleric" are twins: both come from the same Latin word for a churchman, because for centuries nearly every man who could read and write was in holy orders.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cleric
Cleric comes from the Latin clericus, meaning "clergyman" or "priest," which itself derives from the Greek klēros, originally meaning "lot" or "inheritance" and later applied to those whose portion was the service of God. It entered English in the early modern period, around the 16th century, alongside related forms such as clergy and clerical. Its sibling word "clerk" followed a different path through Old English, coming to denote a literate office worker as secular scribes replaced clergymen in administrative roles.
Related word forms
How cleric is actually used
Cleric is a neutral, slightly formal term that conveniently avoids specifying denomination or gender, making it useful in journalism when referring to priests, imams, rabbis, or ministers alike. It is more common in news reporting than in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with cleric
A clerk is an office worker or record-keeper, while a cleric is a religious minister — though both words descend from the same root, since medieval scribes were often clergymen.