clerk

American  

[klurk, klahrk] / klɜrk, klɑrk /

noun

clerks plural

1. a person employed, as in an office, to keep records, file, type, or perform other general office tasks.

2. a salesclerk.

3. a person who keeps the records and performs the routine business of a court, legislature, board, etc.

4. law clerk.

5. a member of the clergy; ecclesiastic.

6. a lay person charged with various minor ecclesiastical duties.

7. Archaic.

   1. a person who is able to read, or to read and write.

   2. a scholar.

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verb (used without object)

1. to act or serve as a clerk.

clerk British  

/ klɜːrk, klɑːk /

noun

1. a worker, esp in an office, who keeps records, files, etc

2. (in England) a legally qualified person who sits in court with lay justices to advise them on points of law

3. an employee of a court, legislature, board, corporation, etc, who keeps records and accounts, etc

   a town clerk

4. Also called: clerk of the House.  a senior official of the House of Commons

5. Also called: clerk in holy orders.  a cleric

6. short for salesclerk

7. Also called: desk clerk.  a hotel receptionist

8. archaic a scholar

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verb

1. (intr) to serve as a clerk

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• clerkdom
  noun
• clerkship
  noun
• outclerk
  noun
• subclerk
  noun
• subclerkship
  noun
• underclerk
  noun
• underclerkship
  noun
• clerkish
  adjective
• clerklike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clerks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of clerk

before 1000; Middle English, Old English clerc, variant of cleric < Late Latin clēricus cleric

Explanation

A clerk is an office worker who does various paper work and often keeps accounts of money or other details. An office clerk might answer the phone, file papers, or organize computer records. A clerical worker is one kind of clerk, and another is the person behind a counter at a store who rings up sales on a cash register. The clerk at your favorite bookstore might also recommend the best new books. Clerk originally had a religious meaning, from cleric, which meant both "ordained person" and "literate person." Because of this second meaning, clerk came to mean "anyone who can read or write."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clerk clerks

“He probably thinks academic theories of originalism can give you crucial guardrails about how to proceed,” said Sherif Girgis, a law professor at Notre Dame and former Alito clerk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

“So long as you truly intend to return, I think you’re fine,” said Beth Stevens, an election lawyer who worked for the Harris County clerk and the Texas Civil Rights Project.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

Washington attorney Roman Martinez, a former clerk for Roberts, said the court is “clearly right of center” but the decision on tariffs was the most important of the year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Brandon Patty, a 44-year-old clerk and comptroller in St John's County, Florida and a Navy Reserve commander, is one such American who believes passionately that the Dream is alive and working.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

I laughed, causing the clerk at the far end of the counter to spin around.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Witnesses gave testimonies in homespun terms, and clerks transcribed their statements by hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

He is said to hate imposing any assignments on his clerks that would require them to work on the weekends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Some date labels are intended to help store clerks with inventory management.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

As usual, the toothless punishment did not fit the crime: Ross apologized to clerks and agreed not to serve as chief judge or on a judicial council.

From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026

I wondered how many other clerks there were upstairs, and whether they all claimed to have the same detrimental mastery of their fellow-creatures.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Related Words

• agent
• auditor
• bookkeeper
• cashier
• employee
• operator
• receptionist
• salesperson
• secretary
• teller
• worker