Examples Word Origin
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. Show More
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. Show More
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 , noun cler·i·cal·ly , adverb in·ter·cler·i·cal , adjective non·cler·i·cal , adjective, noun non·cler·i·cal·ly , adverb pre·cler·i·cal , adjective pro·cler·i·cal , adjective pseu·do·cler·i·cal , adjective pseu·do·cler·i·cal·ly , adverb qua·si-cler·i·cal , adjective qua·si-cler·i·cal·ly , adverb sem·i·cler·i·cal , adjective sem·i·cler·i·cal·ly , adverb un·cler·i·cal , adjective un·cler·i·cal·ly , adverb Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for non-clerical secular ,
civil ,
materialistic ,
worldly ,
ordinary ,
temporal ,
material ,
lay ,
profane ,
inexpert ,
nonprofessional ,
nonspecialist ,
earthly ,
laic ,
nonreligious Examples from the Web for non-clerical Historical Examples of non-clerical How had Baxter come to be at the Green Sailor, in non-clerical costume?
Many States developed bitter antagonism between clerical and non-clerical parties.
British Dictionary definitions for non-clerical relating to or associated with the clergy clerical dress of or relating to office clerks or their work a clerical error supporting or advocating clericalism Show More
Derived Forms clerically , adverb Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for non-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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
