clergy
n.the group of people who are officially trained and allowed to lead religious services. This includes roles like priests, ministers, or rabbis.
n.the body of people ordained for religious service. Usually treated as a collective plural, though it can take a singular verb in some dialects.
“The local clergy met to discuss the community festival.”
“After the disaster, members of the clergy provided counseling to the families in the village.”
“The relationship between the monarchy and the clergy was often strained, as both institutions vied for supreme authority over the lives of the common people.”
Usually functions as a collective plural (e.g., 'the clergy are'); when referring to an individual, 'member of the clergy' is the standard phrasing.
Clergy refers to the group as a whole; use 'member of the clergy' or a specific title like 'priest' for an individual.
“Buddhist clergy quickly responded—opening schools in Hilo and Kona in 1898 and in Honolulu in 1902, and sparking a showdown between leaders of both religions.”
“Last year, the technique helped Wallace uncover what Aguelo Mas describes as Menorca’s “artifact of the decade”: a 13th-century encolpium , or religious reliquary commonly worn by high-ranking clergy.”
From Middle English clergie (attested in the 13th century), from Old French clergie (“learned men”), from Late Latin clēricātus, from Latin clēricus (“one ordained for religious services”), from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós, “of the clergy”). Equivalent to cleric + -ate.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.