clerk

1 of 2

noun

ˈklərk How to pronounce clerk (audio)
British usually
ˈklärk How to pronounce clerk (audio)
1
: cleric
2
archaic : scholar
3
a
: an official responsible (as to a government agency) for correspondence, records, and accounts and vested with specified powers or authority (as to issue writs as ordered by a court)
city clerk
b
: one employed to keep records or accounts or to perform general office work
a bank clerk
c
: one who works at a sales or service counter
a store clerk
a grocery clerk
d
: a person (such as a law school graduate) who provides a judge, magistrate, or lawyer with assistance in such matters as research, writing, and analysis : law clerk
clerkship
ˈklərk-ˌship How to pronounce clerk (audio)
 British usually  ˈklärk-
noun

clerk

2 of 2

verb

clerked; clerking; clerks

intransitive verb

: to act or work as a clerk
clerked for a court judge

Examples of clerk in a Sentence

Noun Have the court clerk file your request with the judge. He works as a clerk in a local pet store. a sales clerk at a women's clothing store
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Palm Beach Post sued the Palm Beach County state attorney and the court clerk in 2019 to obtain a court order to unseal the grand jury proceedings and reveal why the grand jury returned only minimal charges. Shira Moolten, Orange County Register, 2 Mar. 2024 The city clerk said her drop-dead deadline would be the June 26 council meeting. Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024 To date, at least 37 teens have registered, according to the town clerk’s office. Lisa Rathke, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024 Chances are that your waiter or desk clerk is commuting daily from Italy, seeking higher wages and job opportunities in Switzerland. Everett Potter, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Absentee ballots can be returned at a local clerk's office, at a secure dropbox, or through the mail. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 27 Feb. 2024 The way the story goes, the Allsup’s burrito story began 50 years ago in Clovis, New Mexico, when a clerk decided to try frying the flour burritos like doughnuts. Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2024 Ultimately, most of the problems were resolved after the longtime clerk of tiny Lincoln County, pop. 4,500, shared screenshots of her computer showing the necessary steps. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024 For instance, the state said clerks who could not reissue license plates that had been canceled in the old system would have to contact the KAVIS support desk in order to get the issue resolved. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
The idea that Trump disqualified himself from a second term gained traction over the summer with a law review article by two conservative legal scholars − including one who clerked for Roberts. John Fritze, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024 Justices don’t have to explain recusal decisions, but the fact that a plaintiff in the case, John Eastman, clerked for Justice Thomas in the mid-1990s could be a reason. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2023 One of his first jobs was clerking — for $2 per 12-hour shift — at Buffett & Son, an upscale Omaha grocery run by Warren Buffett’s grandfather. Tom Petruno, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Unlike many judges who follow a relatively predictable trajectory to the court -- law school followed by clerking, then years in private practice or in government service -- Engoron's path to the bench includes a seven-year detour as a professional musician and teacher. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2023 Eastman clerked for Thomas on the Supreme Court, and emails obtained by the House panel showed that Ginni Thomas, the justice's wife, corresponded with the conservative lawyer. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 2 Oct. 2023 More than sixty Blackstone alumni are currently clerking on federal courts, including eighteen on appeals courts. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023 Eastman, a conservative attorney who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, played a key role in developing an outlandish legal strategy to try to help Trump stay in power by using the vice president’s ceremonial role overseeing the election certification proceeding. Holly Bailey, Amy Gardner, Patrick Marley and Jon Swaine, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Aug. 2023 Eastman clerked for Clarence Thomas, worked at Chapman University Eastman, 63, received his bachelor's degree from the University of Dallas and later attended law school at the University of Chicago. Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French clerk & Old English cleric, clerc, both from Late Latin clericus, from Late Greek klērikos, from Greek klēros lot, inheritance (in allusion to Deuteronomy 18:2), stick of wood; akin to Greek klan to break — more at clast

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1551, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clerk was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near clerk

Cite this Entry

“Clerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clerk. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clerk

1 of 2 noun
1
: a person whose job is to keep records and accounts
town clerk
a stock clerk
2
: a salesperson in a store

clerk

2 of 2 verb
: to act or work as a clerk

Medical Definition

clerk

noun
: a third- or fourth-year medical student undergoing clinical training in a clerkship
clerk intransitive verb

Legal Definition

clerk

1 of 2 noun
1
: an official responsible (as to a court) for correspondence, records, and accounts and having specified powers or authority (as to issue writs)
a city clerk
clerk of court
2
a
: a person employed to keep records or accounts or to perform general office work
b
: a person (as a law student or graduate) employed by an attorney or judge to assist with case-related tasks (as research) compare paralegal
clerkship noun

clerk

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to act or work as a clerk
clerked for a Supreme Court justice

More from Merriam-Webster on clerk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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