Meanings
adjectiveanticlerical (comparative more anticlerical, superlative most anticlerical)
comparative more anticlerical · superlative most anticlerical
- Opposed to political influence of clerics.
nounanticlerical (plural anticlericals)
plural anticlericals
- One who opposes the political influence of clerics.
'I think I am an anti-clerical,' Father Brown would say with a faint smile; 'but there wouldn't be half so much clericalism if they would only leave things to the clerics.'
1926, G. K. Chesterton, The Resurrection of Father Brown
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂énti
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓ντῐ́ (ăntĭ́)
- Ancient Greekἀντι- (anti-)
- Englishanti-
- Englishclerical
- Englishanticlerical
Translations
Catalan anticlerical, anticlerical
- anticlericalopposed to political influence of clerics
- anticlericalone opposed to political influence of clerics
Chinese Mandarin 反教權 /反教权
- 反教權 /反教权 (fǎnjiàoquán)opposed to political influence of clerics
Dutch antiklerikaal, antiklerikaal
- antiklerikaalopposed to political influence of clerics
- antiklerikaalone opposed to political influence of clerics
French anticlérical, anticlérical
- anticléricalopposed to political influence of clerics
- anticléricalone opposed to political influence of clerics
German antiklerikal, Antikleriker
- antiklerikalopposed to political influence of clerics
- Antiklerikerone opposed to political influence of clerics
Italian anticlericale, anticlericale
- anticlericaleopposed to political influence of clerics
- anticlericaleone opposed to political influence of clerics
Polish antyklerykalny, antyklerykał
- antyklerykalnyopposed to political influence of clerics
- antyklerykałone opposed to political influence of clerics
Portuguese anticlerical, anticlericalista
- anticlericalopposed to political influence of clerics
- anticlericalistaopposed to political influence of clerics
- anticlericalistaone opposed to political influence of clerics
Spanish anticlerical
- anticlericalopposed to political influence of clerics
Swedish antiklerikal
- antiklerikalopposed to political influence of clerics
Cite this entry
APA
anticlerical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anticlerical
MLA
“anticlerical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anticlerical. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anticlerical,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anticlerical.
Source: anticlerical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.