clerical

1 of 2

adjective

cler·​i·​cal ˈkler-i-kəl How to pronounce clerical (audio)
ˈkle-ri-
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy
2
: of or relating to a clerk
clerically adverb

clerical

2 of 2

noun

1
: a member of the clergy
2
3
: clerk
4
clericals plural : clerical garments

Examples of clerical in a Sentence

Adjective She spent the summer doing clerical work for a lawyer. a member of our clerical staff The mistake was due to a clerical error. Noun some of the state's most prominent clericals have spoken out against the measure
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The election certification process—which used to be a routine clerical task—has been politicized in recent years by Trump's baseless election fraud claims. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Indeed, it’s sometimes overlooked that while the Czech lands were under Nazi occupation in 1939, the Slovak State was founded as a clerical client fascist state of Hitler’s Germany. Will Tizard, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024 Yet manual data entry and clerical work are still among the industry's most significant time sinks. Jonathan Treble, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 Those protests grew to include demands for an end to clerical rule. Matthew Mpoke Bigg, New York Times, 9 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for clerical 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clerical was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near clerical

Cite this Entry

“Clerical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clerical. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

clerical

adjective
cler·​i·​cal
ˈkler-i-kəl
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy
2
: of or relating to a clerk or office worker
clerically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on clerical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!