# cleric

/ˈkɫɛɹɪk/ (US) · /klˈɛɹɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cleric
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. religious leader

noun · CEFR B2

a person who is an official leader in a religion, like a priest or a monk.

For teachers: a member of the clergy; a person ordained for religious service.

- The local cleric led the community in prayer during the festival.
- The senior cleric issued a statement calling for peace and reconciliation between the two warring factions.

### 2. fantasy games

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

in games like Dungeons & Dragons, a character who uses magic from a god to heal others.

For teachers: a character class in role-playing games typically characterised by divine magic, healing abilities, and religious devotion.

- Our team needs a cleric to help heal us during the boss fight.
- The player chose to build a cleric character, focusing on defensive spells and restorative magic to support the rest of the adventuring party.

Usage: Commonly used in the context of tabletop or video game mechanics.

Teaching tip: This sense is specific to gaming culture; in general conversation, 'cleric' almost always refers to a real-world religious figure.

## Examples

- The local cleric gave a speech about peace.
- The community invited the cleric to lead the annual charity drive.
- Historical records show that the cleric played a pivotal role in mediating disputes between the warring factions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.