clerical
KLER-ih-kul
/ˈklerɪkl/
Relating to the clergy; also, relating to routine office work or record-keeping.
In this group, we focus on the religious meaning. Historically, since only the clergy could write, 'clerical' work became synonymous with office work.
The story behind the word. Same as 'clergy'. It evolved from meaning 'of the priesthood' to 'of the literate class' because for centuries, the only people who could perform 'clerical' (writing) tasks were the clergy.
Word relationships
- ecclesiastical: Ecclesiastical is more formal and refers to the church; clerical refers more specifically to the ministers themselves.
- secular: Secular means non-religious; clerical means related to the clergy.
Commonly confused with
- clinical: Clinical relates to a clinic or medicine; clerical relates to the clergy or office work.
Word family
- clergy (noun): The body of ministers.
Collocations
- clerical collar
- clerical error
- clerical staff
Example sentences
- "He was easily recognized in the crowd by his distinctive clerical collar." Religious clothing.
- "The job involves a lot of clerical work, such as filing and answering phones." Administrative work.
Memory hook
A CLERICAL worker and a CLERGYman both use a pen (historically). Of the clergy.
When not to use
In a modern business setting, 'clerical' almost always means filing and data entry. Use 'ecclesiastical' if you want to be purely religious.
Fun facts
- The 'clerical collar' is also known as a 'Roman collar'.
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