Cleric

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈklɛɹɪk/

Definitions

1. A member of the clergy authorized to perform religious rites and ceremonies within a faith tradition
2. A religious leader or minister tasked with guiding spiritual practices and administering sacraments in a community of believers
3. An individual who holds an official position in a religious order, responsible for conducting worship services and providing pastoral care

Etymology: Ancient Athens chose many of its officials by lot rather than by vote, drawing names from a container so that no candidate could buy or campaign for the job. The Greek word for this procedure, "klēros", meant a lot or a casting of lots, and its adjective "klērikos" described anything connected with such allotment. Early Christian writers later applied the term to the church's officials, probably because clergy were seen as those chosen by lot, or in the sense of a portion or inheritance from God. The word passed into Late Latin as "clēricus" and from there into English. It shares a root with "clerk", which came into English through a different route, so the two are doublets: one entered through Latin and church usage, the other through Old French. Both kept the sense of a learned or literate member of the church for centuries, and "clerk" later broadened to mean any writer or office worker.

Synonyms: clergyman, minister, priest

Antonyms: layperson, secularist