Standard Lemma guide

clerical

adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈklɛɹɪkəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K L EH1 R AH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: K L EH1 R IH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to clerks or their work.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or relating to the clergy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: black-collar, cleric

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A member of the clergy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncommon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blackcoat, clergymember, clergyperson, cleric, clerical

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Clerical garments.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

of or relating to the clergy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • clerical collar

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

of or relating to clerks

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • clerical work

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

appropriate for or engaged in office work

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • clerical skills
  • a clerical job
  • the clerical staff

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”), from clēricus (“clergyman, priest”).

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: канцеларски (kancelarski) — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Czech: úřednický — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Czech: kancelářský — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Czech: administrativní — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Dutch: administratief — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Finnish: toimisto- — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • French: administratif — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Greek: υπαλληλικός (ypallilikós) — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Greek: γραφειοκρατικός (grafeiokratikós) — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Irish: cléireachais — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Italian: d'ufficio — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Italian: amministrativo — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Italian: burocratico — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Manx: cleree — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Polish: biurowy — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Russian: канцеля́рский (kanceljárskij) — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Scottish Gaelic: clèireachail — of or relating to clerks or their work
  • Armenian: կղերական (kġerakan) — of or relating to the clergy
  • Bulgarian: свещенически (svešteničeski) — of or relating to the clergy
  • Bulgarian: духовен (duhoven) — of or relating to the clergy
  • Catalan: clerical — of or relating to the clergy
  • Czech: kněžský — of or relating to the clergy
  • Czech: duchovní — of or relating to the clergy
  • Czech: klerikální — of or relating to the clergy
  • Dutch: klerikaal — of or relating to the clergy
  • Dutch: geestelijk — of or relating to the clergy
  • Finnish: papillinen — of or relating to the clergy
  • French: clérical — of or relating to the clergy
  • Galician: clerical — of or relating to the clergy
  • German: klerikal — of or relating to the clergy
  • German: geistlich — of or relating to the clergy
  • German: priesterlich — of or relating to the clergy
  • Greek: κληρικός (klirikós) — of or relating to the clergy
  • Greek: ιερατικός (ieratikós) — of or relating to the clergy
  • Ancient Greek: κληρικός (klērikós) — of or relating to the clergy
  • Irish: cléiriúil — of or relating to the clergy
  • Italian: clericale — of or relating to the clergy
  • Manx: agglishagh — of or relating to the clergy
  • Manx: saggyrtoil — of or relating to the clergy
  • Norwegian Bokmål: geistlig — of or relating to the clergy
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: geistleg — of or relating to the clergy
  • Portuguese: clerical — of or relating to the clergy
  • Russian: духо́вный (duxóvnyj) — of or relating to the clergy
  • Russian: церко́вный (cerkóvnyj) — of or relating to the clergy
  • Scottish Gaelic: clèireachail — of or relating to the clergy
  • Spanish: clerical — of or relating to the clergy
  • Tagalog: simbahanin — of or relating to the clergy
  • Welsh: clerigol — of or relating to the clergy
Real reading context

clerical in complete knowledge articles