clerical

[ kler-i-kuhl ]

/ ˈklɛr ɪ kəl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: clerical / clericals on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

OTHER WORDS FROM clerical

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

How to use clerical in a sentence

There was a lot of positive feedback from people interested in non-gender binary people.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She ultimately ditched JSwipe after about a week and found her current, non-Jewish, boyfriend on OkCupid.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
An atheist counsels his fellow non-believers on how not to talk to people of faith.
The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism|Steve Neumann|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The distinction between over-policing and non-responsiveness was alive and well in Bed-Stuy.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Last summer, Louisiana also banned non-legal adoption, with offenders facing a penalty of $5,000 and up to five years in prison.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking|Tina Traster|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The expatriated ex-rebels became alarmed by the non-receipt of the indemnity instalment and the news from their homes.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
The seed of discontent was again germinating under the duplicity of the Spanish lay and clerical authorities.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
To give him a party name, he became an anti-clerical, strictly in a political and lawful sense.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He also states that the Audiencia is virtually non-existent, and so there is no high court in which justice may be sought.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
De moi, je ne say qu'en dire, d'autant que je ne veux affirmer ny le si ny le non en ce dont je n'ay vidence.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for clerical

clerical

/ (ˈklɛrɪkəl) /

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 forms of clerical

clerically, 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

clerical

Origin of clerical

OTHER WORDS FROM clerical

Words related to clerical

How to use clerical in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for clerical

Derived forms of clerical