Cleric
A cleric (
Ancient Greek "κληρικός" - klērikos), clergyman (pl. clergymen), or churchman (pl. churchmen) is a member of theclergy of areligion , especially one who is apriest ,preacher , or other religious professional. It is often used to refer to the religious leadership inIslam , where the term "priest " is not accurate and where terms such as "Alim " are not widely understood in the English-speaking world.Within
Christianity , especially inEastern Christianity andRoman Catholicism , the term "cleric" refers to any individual who has received the clericaltonsure , includingdeacon s,priest s, andbishop s. InRoman Catholicism , thetonsure was a prerequisite for receiving any of theminor orders ormajor orders before theminor orders and thesubdiaconate were abolished following theSecond Vatican Council . Thus those individuals who have received the tonsure, but are notdeacon s,priest s, orbishop s, are properly referred to as clerics. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04049b.htm Cleric] - "Catholic Encyclopedia "]Minor Orders are still given in theEastern Catholic Churches , and 'cleric' is the normal title given to seminarians and those with minor orders.The term "
clerk " derives from "cleric," since in medieval times the clergy were one of the few groups who could read, and therefore were often employed to do bookkeeping and similar work. The term "clerical work" continues to this day to refer to such functions.References
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Cleric — • A person who has been legitimately received into the ranks of the clergy Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Cleric Cleric † … Catholic encyclopedia
cleric — CLÉRIC, clerici, s.m. Membru al clerului. – Din lat. clericus. Trimis de ibogdank, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98 Cleric ≠ laic, mirean Trimis de siveco, 03.08.2004. Sursa: Antonime CLÉRIC s. (bis.) (înv.) duhovnic. (clericul este membru al… … Dicționar Român
Cleric — Cler ic, n. [AS., fr. L. clericus. See {Clerk}.] A clerk, a clergyman. [R.] Bp. Horsley. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Cleric — Cler ic, a. Same as {Clerical}. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
cleric — n. A member of the clergy. The Essential Law Dictionary. Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008 … Law dictionary
cleric — (n.) 1620s, from L.L. clericus clergyman, priest (4c.), lit. belonging to the clerus; from Eccles. Gk. klerikos, belonging to the clergy, originally pertaining to an inheritance, but in Christian use pertaining to the ecclesiastical order, from… … Etymology dictionary
cleric — ► NOUN ▪ a priest or religious leader. ORIGIN Latin clericus, from Greek kl ros lot, heritage (with reference to Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1) … English terms dictionary
cleric — [kler′ik] n. [LL(Ec) clericus: see CLERK] a member of the clergy adj. relating to the clergy or one of its members … English World dictionary
cleric — [[t]kle̱rɪk[/t]] clerics N COUNT A cleric is a member of the clergy. His grandfather was a Muslim cleric … English dictionary
cleric — UK [ˈklerɪk] / US noun [countable] Word forms cleric : singular cleric plural clerics formal 1) a leader of any religion Muslim clerics 2) old fashioned a member of the clergy … English dictionary
