Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🚫 Opposed to clergy 🙅 Clergy opponent
anticlerical

anticlerical

9.4
A person who opposes religious leaders having power in public life
  • noun
  • /ˌæn.tɪˈklɛr.ɪ.kəl/
translation icon : anticlerical
  • During the revolution, many anticlericals demanded reforms to limit religious authority.

Examples

  • He was known as an anticlerical who advocated for secular education in schools.

  • The outspoken anticlerical challenged the church's involvement in political affairs.

  • The anticlerical movement gained momentum in the early 20th century.

  • Many anticlericals advocate for the separation of church and state.

  • The outspoken anticlerical challenged the church's involvement in political affairs.

  • During the revolution, many anticlericals demanded reforms to limit religious authority.

  • He was known as an anticlerical who advocated for secular education in schools.

How Anticlerical

secularist
12 7.5
anticlerical
9.4

Surface Forms

anticlerical singular
anticlericals plural

Morphology

anticlerical = clerical (semi-transparent) = anti + cleric + al

The noun is formed regularly from the adjective anticlerical, but the religious sense of clerical is specialized enough that the meaning is only partly transparent for many learners.

Etymology

Anticlerical used as a noun comes from anti- 'against' and cleric or clergy 'religious leader'. A helpful way to remember it is that an anticlerical is a person who stands against church power in public life.