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
Adjective
Chung was an artist himself, who had a day job doing clerical work at a psychoanalyst’s office. Zachary Small, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Most affected employees perform core public sector jobs like teaching in schools, doing clerical work for state and local government, repairing engines and machinery for government agencies, answering 911 calls at call centers, and working at city parks. Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 Programming was considered clerical work, an extension of the secretarial pool, itself an extension of women’s work in the home—straightening, organizing, and managing the operations of the family unit. Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2024 Already, China has greatly undermined the efficacy of U.S. sanctions against the clerical regime, and the partnership has helped to make Iran the dominant power in the Middle East. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 Answers are across the board, from receptionist, cleaning crew and clerical support to customer service, production and accounting roles. Sherre Demao, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Spending patterns cover urban consumers, wage earners and clerical workers in urban or metropolitan areas. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 13 Feb. 2024 Chan concludes that the dress's owner was possibly another woman who worked as clerical staff—not as a telegraph operator, as those all appear to have been male—probably at the central Signal Service office in Washington, DC, the final destination for such messages. Cryptologia, 2023. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2024 Their popular offerings include industrial labor, drivers, forklift operators, pickers and packers, container loaders, clerical staff, retail workers, and both skilled and general labor. Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clerical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 18 Mar. 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
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