clerical

American  

[kler-i-kuhl] / ˈklɛr ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, appropriate for, or assigned to an office clerk or clerks.

   a clerical job.

2. doing the work of a clerk or clerks.

   a clerical assistant;

   a clerical staff.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy or a member of the clergy.

   clerical garb.

4. advocating the power or influence of the clergy in politics, government, etc..

   a clerical party.

---

noun

1. a cleric.

2. Informal. clericals, clerical garments.

3. a person or a party advocating the power or influence of the church in politics, government, etc.

4. a person who does clerical work; office worker; clerk.

5. Also called clerical error.  a minor error, as in the keeping of records, the transcribing of documents, or the handling of correspondence.

clerical British  

/ ˈklɛrɪkəl /

adjective

1. relating to or associated with the clergy

   clerical dress

2. of or relating to office clerks or their work

   a clerical error

3. supporting or advocating clericalism

---

Other Word Forms

• clericality
  noun
• clerically
  adverb
• interclerical
  adjective
• nonclerical
  adjective
• nonclerically
  adverb
• preclerical
  adjective
• proclerical
  adjective
• pseudoclerical
  adjective
• pseudoclerically
  adverb
• quasi-clerical
  adjective
• quasi-clerically
  adverb
• semiclerical
  adjective
• semiclerically
  adverb
• unclerical
  adjective
• unclerically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of clerical

1425–75 for sense “learned”; 1585–95 clerical for def. 3; late Middle English < Late Latin clēricālis, equivalent to clēric ( us ) cleric + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

Anything related to office work is called clerical, especially the more menial and boring jobs such as filing and administration. You might say "The Office" is a clerical comedy. In older times clerical had an additional common meaning of referring to anything to do with the clergy — those ordained for religious work, usually in the Christian faith. Clerical comes from the old Latin term clericus, meaning a "churchman," from which cleric later came, meaning a priest or religious leader. To have "a clerical air" means to be clearly identifiable either as an ink-stained office wretch or a member of the cloth.

Example Sentences

NUH confirmed the staff involved in the investigations included doctors, nurses, registered medical professionals, and admin and clerical employees.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

As well as campaigning against capital punishment and the obligatory headscarf for women, she has also regularly predicted the downfall of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

Regulators in both the U.S. and U.K. require that anyone engaged in investment banking pass exams and be licensed to work on sensitive, multibillion-dollar transactions, with limited exceptions for clerical work.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Whether the tweet was a confession or a clerical error, travel experts say the advice on how to avoid surprise price jumps is a relic of a simpler internet.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

When Levi Jr. turned four, Mary Jackson filed an application with the Civil Service, applying both for a clerical position with the army and as a computer at Langley.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• ecclesiastical
• ministerial
• monastic
• pastoral
• rabbinical