A member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or even ordained priests, preachers, or more religious agents; or the member of a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy role-playing games.

As Clergy
A term "cleric" just means the member of the clergy. Its non-specific nature and severity means these are typically wont to refer to the religious leadership inside Islam, where "priest" is not exact & in which terms like "imam" are not widely understood.

A term "clerk" derives from "cleric", since inside mediaeval days a clergy were one of a pack groups world health organization may page through, & so were typically listed to run clerking & similar act. A term "clerical work" continues to this day to refer to such functions.

In Role-playing Games
Couple popular amusement give when large the role to members of the clergy when clean Dungeons & Dragons and the many similar entertainments that descended from it. Virtually all games around the fantasy setting feature members of religious orders of various kinds, world health organization develop magical powers from a gods that figure in the setting for the game. These games uses a term "cleric" since members of the character class include many types of clergy, non 100% of which can exist as covered by the further specific term like "priest".

Churchman come worthful members of an adventuring person inside these games. Virtually all systems give a ecclesiastic healing powers to recover wounds suffered by player characters in a games, and another time, to raise characters from either the dead. Inside virtually all systems, divine as well enjoy powers to banish a undead assailants of the adventurers. Several games as well allow evil clerics, the followers of evil divinity, world health organization wield similar however contrary powers to bring poison and disease against the adventurers, & world health organization produce undead armies to oppose the children.

Churchman work under the total of restrictions. It occasionally must locate a alignment appropriate to their faith & ethos, and can lose their clerical powers in case it stray from either an sanctioned code of behaviour. Numerous must tithe their adventuring treasures to a temple or similar institution. Around numerous systems, churchman come restricted in the kinda weapons they might bear; a usual restriction, taken from either European history, forbids a have of edged weapons like swords. (A 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons has lifted most of these restrictions from the cleric. E.g., divine come there are no hanker restricted to bludgeoning weapons, making a ecclesiastic class less attached to European roots. Instead, for each one immortal has the favorite weapon using which their divine can be skillful within.)

Related the divine is the paladin, who within these games is generally the warrior aligned with the religious choose, & world health organization utilizes his martial skills to advance its holy cause.