clerical

clerical — adjective

1. describing the everyday tasks performed in an office environment, such as typing

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describing the everyday tasks performed in an office environment, such as typing letters, keeping records, answering phones, or organizing files.

Example

After finishing school, Aiko took a clerical job at a local law firm in Taipei.

collocation: clerical job / clerical work / clerical staff

The new software reduced the amount of clerical work the nurses had to do.

Common collocations
  • clerical job
  • clerical work
  • clerical staff
  • clerical tasks
  • clerical position
  • clerical duties
  • clerical error
Synonyms
  • administrative

    broader in meaning — includes management and decision-making tasks, not just record-keeping

  • secretarial

    more specific — refers to the duties of a secretary, such as scheduling and correspondence

  • office

    more general — used in compounds like 'office work' without specifying the type of tasks

Antonyms
  • managerial

    involving supervision, planning, and decision-making rather than routine paperwork

Grammar Patterns

clerical + noun (job / work / staff / tasks / position / duties / error)

Usage Note

Always used before a noun (attributive position). Common collocates include job, work, staff, tasks, position, duties, and error. In workplace contexts, clerical roles are typically separate from managerial or technical positions.

Common Mistakes

She applied for a clerical.
She applied for a clerical job.
'clerical' is an adjective and needs a noun such as 'job', 'work', or 'position' after it.
He works as a clerical in a bank.
He works as a clerk in a bank.
the noun form for a person who does clerical work is 'clerk', not 'clerical'.

2. relating to the work, position, clothing, or ceremonies of a priest or other mem

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to the work, position, clothing, or ceremonies of a priest or other members of the clergy.

Example

Bishop Diego wore his full clerical robes during the Easter service at the cathedral.

collocation: clerical robes / clerical garments / clerical collar

Hana decided to enroll in a clerical training program to prepare for the priesthood.

Common collocations
  • clerical robes
  • clerical garments
  • clerical collar
  • clerical training
  • clerical life
  • clerical leaders
Synonyms
  • ecclesiastical

    broader — relates to the Christian church as an institution rather than specifically to clergy

  • pastoral

    focuses on the caring and guidance role of clergy, not their formal status or clothing

  • priestly

    more direct and less formal than 'clerical' in this sense

Antonyms
  • lay

    describes church members who are not ordained clergy

Grammar Patterns

clerical + noun (robes / garments / training / collar / life / leaders)

Usage Note

Frequently used before nouns that describe religious clothing (robes, garments, collar) or religious training. This sense is historically the original meaning and is more formal than using 'priest's' as a modifier.

Common Mistakes

The clerical held a Sunday service at the church.
The priest held a Sunday service at the church.
'clerical' is an adjective, not a noun; the person is called a 'priest', 'clergyman', or 'cleric'.
I need to speak to the clerical office.' (ambiguous)
I need to speak to the priest's office.
when referring to a specific person's office, use 'priest's' instead to avoid confusion with the 'office work' meaning.

Word family

  • clerk
    nounA2
  • cleric
    nounC1
  • clergy
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Clerical, administrative, secretarial, and office all describe workplace tasks, but they differ in scope and focus. Clerical refers specifically to routine paperwork and record-keeping — typing, filing, data entry, and answering phones. Administrative is broader and includes planning, decision-making, and supervision; an administrative assistant may manage budgets or coordinate projects, while a clerical worker primarily processes documents. Secretarial is the narrowest — it covers the traditional duties of a secretary, such as scheduling meetings, taking dictation, and managing correspondence. Office is the most general term and can describe any kind of work done in an office setting, from cleaning to executive leadership. For example: 'The company hired extra clerical staff to handle the year-end filing backlog' focuses on paperwork, whereas 'She took on more administrative duties after her promotion' implies greater responsibility.

administrative ↗secretarialoffice ↗clerical ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • clerical work
  • clerical staff
  • clerical duties
  • clerical position
  • clerical error

Adverbs

  • purely clerical
  • strictly clerical
  • essentially clerical

Phrases

  • clerical and administrative
  • clerical or secretarial

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Clerical comes from the Latin word 'clericus', meaning 'priest' or 'clergyman'. In medieval Europe, clergy members were often the only people who could read and write, so they performed record-keeping and administrative work for rulers and institutions. Over time, the word developed a second meaning connected to office tasks — the kind of work that educated clerks (originally clergy members) did. The word travelled from Latin into Old French as 'clerical' and then into English during the Middle Ages.