clergy

The word “clergy” means people who are formally trained and ordained to lead religious services, such as priests, ministers, and rabbis. In plain terms, a collective word for religious officials — priests, ministers, and similar figures — as a group.

“Clergy” is pronounced KLURD-zhee (/ˈklɝd͡ʒi/ in IPA).

Here is “clergy” used in a sentence: “Members of the clergy gathered for the annual conference.”

The opposite of “clergy” — its antonyms — are laity and nonclergy.

“Clergy” is a noun.

The word “clergy” comes from Latin. From Old French clergie, "learned men," ultimately from Latin clericus, "one ordained for religious service.".

“Clergy” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Clergy refers to people formally trained and ordained to lead religious services, such as priests, ministers, and rabbis, while laity refers to ordinary members of a religious congregation who have not been ordained. The distinction separates religious leadership from the general membership.

Clergy is a collective noun that refers to a group of ordained religious leaders as a whole, and it is generally treated as taking a plural verb, as in 'the clergy are gathering.' A single member of this group is usually called a clergyman, clergywoman, or cleric rather than 'a clergy.'

Clergy is the collective term for the entire body of ordained religious leaders, while a clergyman is one individual member of that group. In other words, a clergyman belongs to the clergy.

Many organized religions have some form of clergy, meaning formally trained and ordained leaders who conduct services, though the specific titles, training, and roles vary widely between faiths. Some religious traditions have little or no formal clergy structure at all.