What does clerical mean?
Clerical is an adjective with two well-established senses. Its most common modern meaning relates to office work: clerical tasks are the routine administrative jobs — filing, typing, record-keeping, answering correspondence — that keep an organisation running, and a clerical error is a mistake made in handling documents or figures rather than a failure of judgement. The word's older sense connects it to the clergy: a clerical collar is the distinctive neckband worn by Christian ministers, and clerical celibacy refers to the rule requiring priests to remain unmarried. Both meanings spring from the same root, since clergymen were historically among the few literate people who kept written records, making the link between church and paperwork natural. Clerical is neutral in register and standard in both British and American English, appearing frequently in workplace, legal, and religious contexts alike.
Relating to office work or routine administrative tasks.
"She was hired to handle the clerical side of the business — invoicing, filing, and correspondence."
Relating to the clergy or to religious ministers.
"The conference addressed questions of clerical discipline within the diocese."
The same word that describes a priest's collar also describes a typo in your bank statement — 'clerical' has quietly served both church and office for centuries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clerical
Clerical derives from the Late Latin clericus, meaning 'clergyman' or 'clerk', which itself comes from Greek klērikos, 'of the clergy', ultimately from klēros, meaning 'lot' or 'inheritance' — a reference to the clergy as those chosen by lot or set apart for God's service. The word entered English in the early modern period, around the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. It shares its origin with 'clergy', 'cleric', and 'clerk', reflecting the medieval reality that literate record-keeping was largely the province of churchmen.
How clerical is actually used
In modern everyday usage, the office-work sense is by far the more common of the two. The ecclesiastical sense appears mainly in formal, historical, or religious contexts — phrases like 'clerical collar' or 'clerical celibacy' are fixed expressions. The word is neutral in tone, though 'clerical work' can occasionally carry a faint connotation of routine or low-status labour.
Easily confused with clerical
'Clerk' is a noun referring to a person who keeps records or handles office tasks (or historically a clergyman), while 'clerical' is the adjective describing things relating either to such work or to the clergy.