clergy

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Religious personnel

Nouns

1. (body of clergy) clergy, ministry, priesthood, rabbinate, abbacy, ulema, imamate; the cloth, Roman collar. See religion, worship.

2. (member of the clergy) clergyman or -woman, cleric, divine, ecclesiastic, churchman or -woman, priest, celebrant, minister, preacher, dominie, pastor, parson, man of the cloth, leader of the flock, shepherd, precentor, predicant; father, father in Christ; padre, curate, abbé, curé; patriarch; reverend; confessor; dewal; lama; magi. Slang, Bible-pounder or -thumper, devil-catcher, divine, fire insurance agent, gospel-shouter, Jesus-screamer; sky pilot.

3. (governing clergy) Pope, pontiff, cardinal, eminence, reverence, primate, metropolitan, archbishop, bishop, prelate, diocesan, suffragan, arch-priest, provost; patriarch, eparch, exarch, metropolitan; high priest, rabbi, mohel; caliph, imam, muezzin; dean, subdean, archdeacon, deacon, sub-deacon, prebendary, canon, rector, parson, vicar, chaplain, curate; preacher, reader, lecturer; missionary, propagandist, Salvationist, revivalist, gospel singer or preacher, evangelist; almoner, verger, beadle, sexton, sacristan; Brahman, pundit, guru, bashara; ayatollah; druid[ess], hierophant; Dalai Lama.

4.

a. (male member of an order) cenobite, anchorite, eremite, conventual, abbot, abbé, prior, monk, friar, brother, mendicant, manciple; bhikshu, bonze, fakir, sannyasi; hegumen; lay brother, pilgrim.

b. (female member of an order) abbess, prioress, canoness; mother superior, nun, sister, novice, postulant.

c. (orders) Jesuits, Franciscans, Gray Friars, Friars minor, Minorites; Capuchins, Dominicans, Black Friars; Carmelites, White Friars; Augustinians, Austin Friars; Carthusians, Benedictines, Cistercians, Trappists, Cluniacs, Maturines; Templars, Hospitallers.

5. holy orders, ordination, consecration, induction; clericalism, theocracy, hierarchy, ecclesiology; monasticism, monkhood, asceticism, cloistered life; papacy, pontificate; prelacy; benefit of clergy.

6. (clerical clothing and equipment) vestments, canonicals; cloth; habit; robe, gown, frock, surplice, alb, rochet, cassock, soutane, dalmatic, Geneva gown, scapular[y], cope, scarf, amice, chasuble, stole, maniple, mozzetta, pallium; fanon; cincture; tonsure, cowl, coif, hood; clerical collar; calotte; bands; pontificals, pall; miter, tiara, triple crown; cardinal's or red hat, biretta; kamelaukion; shovel hat, zucchetto; crozier, pastoral staff; thurible.

7. (council of clergy) consistory, synod, council, Sanhedrin; college.

Verbs — call, ordain, consecrate, induct; take orders or vows, take the veil.

Adjectives — ordained, in holy orders, called to the ministry; clerical, priestly, ecclesiastical, pastoral, ministerial; episcopal, hierarchical; pontifical, papal.

Quotations — I look upon all the world as my parish (John Wesley), In all ages of the world, priests have been enemies of liberty (David Hume), The world would be poorer without the antics of clergymen (V S. Pritchett), Priests and conjurors are of the same trade (Thomas Paine), Did man e'er live saw priest or woman yet forgive? (James Russell Lowell), As the French say, there are three sexes — men, women, and clergymen (Sydney Smith).

Antonyms, See laity.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. priesthood, prelacy, pastorate; see ministry 2 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

ecclesiastics, men of the cloth, ministry, priesthood, churchmen, holy order, prelacy, pastorate, presbytery, rabbinate. see clergyman