clergyman
n. countablen. a male member of the clergy, such as a priest or minister in a Christian church.
n. a male member of the clergy, typically within a Christian denomination. While historically common, the term is increasingly replaced by gender-neutral alternatives like 'member of the clergy' or 'cleric' in modern contexts.
The clergyman led the Sunday morning service.
The local clergyman was a well-respected figure who often mediated disputes between families in the village.
In nineteenth-century literature, the clergyman is often depicted as a moral compass for the community, though his influence began to wane as society became more secular.
From clergy + -man.
Refers specifically to a man; the female equivalent is 'clergywoman', though 'cleric' is the preferred gender-neutral term.