{
    "term": "clergy",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "the priests or ministers of a religion, especially of the Christian Church",
            "labels": "(North American English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "All the local clergy were asked to attend the ceremony."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The new proposals affect both clergy and laity."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Religion and festivals"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈklɜːdʒi/",
                "audio": "cl/clergy/clergy__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈklɜːrdʒi/",
                "audio": "cl/clergy/clergy__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French, based on ecclesiastical Latin clericus ‘clergyman’, from Greek klērikos ‘belonging to the Christian clergy’, from klēros ‘lot, heritage’ (Acts 1:26)."
}