A member of the clergy, typically a priest or minister who performs religious duties in a church or religious organization.
From Middle English 'clerc,' derived from Old French 'clerk,' ultimately from Latin 'clericus' meaning 'priest or clergyman.' The word originally referred to someone who could read and write, as literacy was primarily held by religious figures in medieval times.
The word 'cleric' reveals how reading and religion were once inseparable—in the Middle Ages, being able to read made you clergy, because almost nobody else could! This is why 'clerk' (a person who keeps records) comes from the same root.
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