1. (n.) The body of men set apart, by due ordination, to the service of God, in the Christian church, in distinction from the laity; in England, usually restricted to the ministers of the Established Church.
2. (n.) Learning; also, a learned profession.
3. (n.) The privilege or benefit of clergy.
Thesaurus Entries
Sacred College, administration, advisory council, agency, agent, aid, assistance, attendance, auspices, bailiwick, benefit, bureau, bureaucracy, cabinet, camarilla, care, channel, charge, clergy, clerical order, clericals, comfort, commissariat, constablery, constablewick, constabulary, council, council of state, cure, custodianship, custody, department, directorate, divan, ease, employ, employment, good offices, governance, government, guardianship, guidance, hands, help, hierarchy, higher echelons, higher-ups, holy orders, instrument, instrumentality, instrumentation, jurisdiction, keeping, kitchen cabinet, management, mean, medium, ministration, municipality, office, offices, officialdom, organ, oversight, pastorage, pastorate, pastorship, patronage, peonage, prelacy, presbytery, priestery, priesthood, privy council, protection, protectorship, rabbinate, relief, religion, remedy, rescue, ruling class, ruling classes, sacred calling, safe hands, secretariat, serfdom, service, servitium, servitorship, servitude, shadow cabinet, sheriffalty, sheriffwick, shrievalty, slavery, stewardship, succor, support, tendance, the Establishment, the administration, the authorities, the church, the cloth, the ingroup, the interests, the people upstairs, the power elite, the power structure, the pulpit, the top, them, therapy, they, top brass, tutelage, vehicle, ward, wardenship, wardship, watch and ward, wing
