A man who is a member of the clergy, such as a priest, minister, pastor, or other religious leader in a Christian church.
From 'clergy' (from Old French 'clergie,' meaning 'learning' or 'priesthood') plus 'man.' Originally, clergy referred to educated men in the church during the Middle Ages.
The word 'clergy' originally meant 'the educated people'—in medieval times, the church was one of the few institutions with literate, educated members, so 'clergy' became synonymous with priests, showing how religion and literacy were historically intertwined.
The gendered suffix -man assumes clergy are male, reflecting historical exclusion of women from ordained ministry in many traditions.
Use 'clergy member,' 'cleric,' or 'minister' to include all genders.
["clergy member","cleric","ordained minister","pastoral leader"]
Women have led spiritual communities across traditions; formal ordination access expanded significantly in the 20th century through women's organized advocacy.
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