\Cler"gy\, n. [OE. clergie, clergi, clerge, OF. clergie,
F. clergie (fr. clerc clerc, fr. L. clericus priest) confused
with OF. clergi['e], F. clerg['e], fr. LL. clericatus office
of priest, monastic life, fr. L. clericus priest, LL.
scholar, clerc. Both the Old French words meant clergy, in
sense 1, the former having also sense 2. See {Clerk}.]
1. 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. --Hooker.
2. Learning; also, a learned profession. [Obs.]
         Sophictry . . . rhetoric, and other cleargy. --Guy
                                               of Warwick.
         Put their second sons to learn some clergy. --State
                                               Papers (1515).
3. The privilege or benefit of clergy.
         If convicted of a clergyable felony, he is entitled
         equally to his clergy after as before conviction.
                                               --Blackstone.
{Benefit of clergy} (Eng., Law), the exemption of the persons
   of clergymen from criminal process before a secular judge
   -- a privilege which was extended to all who could read,
   such persons being, in the eye of the law, clerici, or
   clerks. This privilege was abridged and modified by
   various statutes, and finally abolished in the reign of
   George IV. (1827).
{Regular clergy}, {Secular clergy} See {Regular}, n., and
   {Secular}, a.