clergy
"Clergy" is a group noun. It names many priests and ministers at once, so the word itself stays clergy.
Meaning: the priests and ministers of a religion (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
clergy is pronounced /ˈklɜːdʒi/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
clergy is a group noun. It names many people at once, so it rarely takes -s. To count, say members of the clergy. clergies is used only for the clergy of different churches.
Did you know?
- Only a handful of English nouns still form the plural without -s, among them men, feet, teeth and children.
Examples in context
- The clergy were invited to the ceremony.Singular: The clergy was invited to the ceremony.
- Local clergy led the prayers.This sentence is the same in the singular.
