clerical

[kler-i-kuh l]

adjective

of, pertaining to, appropriate for, or assigned to an office clerk or clerks: a clerical job.

doing the work of a clerk or clerks: a clerical assistant; a clerical staff.

of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy or a member of the clergy: clerical garb.

advocating the power or influence of the clergy in politics, government, etc.: a clerical party.

noun

a cleric.

clericals, Informal. clerical garments.

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

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

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

Nearby words

Origin of clerical

1425–75 for sense “learned”; 1585–95 for def 3; late Middle English < Late Latin clēricālis, equivalent to clēric(us) cleric + -ālis -al¹

Related forms

cler·i·cal·i·ty, nouncler·i·cal·ly, adverbin·ter·cler·i·cal, adjectivenon·cler·i·cal, adjective, noun

non·cler·i·cal·ly, adverbpre·cler·i·cal, adjectivepro·cler·i·cal, adjectivepseu·do·cler·i·cal, adjectivepseu·do·cler·i·cal·ly, adverbqua·si-cler·i·cal, adjectivequa·si-cler·i·cal·ly, adverbsem·i·cler·i·cal, adjectivesem·i·cler·i·cal·ly, adverbun·cler·i·cal, adjectiveun·cler·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for non-clerical

Many States developed bitter antagonism between clerical and non-clerical parties.
Spanish America, Its Romance, Reality and Future, Vol. 1|Charles Reginald Enock
How had Baxter come to be at the Green Sailor, in non-clerical costume?
A Bid for Fortune|Guy Boothby

British Dictionary definitions for non-clerical

clerical

adjective

relating to or associated with the clergyclerical dress

of or relating to office clerks or their worka clerical error

supporting or advocating clericalism

Derived Formsclerically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for non-clerical

clerical

adj.

1590s, "pertaining to the clergy," from cleric + -al (1), or from French clérical, from Old French clerigal "learned," from Latin clericalis, from clericus (see cleric). Meaning "pertaining to clerks" is from 1798.