clerical
nounEtymology From Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”), from clēricus (“clergyman, priest”).
1
Uncommon A member of the clergy.
2
In plural, Informal Clerical garments.
clerical
adjUK /ˈklɛɹɪkəl/
Etymology From Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”), from clēricus (“clergyman, priest”).
1
Of or relating to clerks or their work.
- ‘The groans of this sick person,’ he said, ‘distract my attention. And without that it is extremely difficult to guard against clerical errors in this climate.’1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I:
- "Yes," agreed Carrados, "naturally—where they make the Bank of England note paper. And how extraordinarily interesting his work there must be. Has he to do directly with the paper when it's made or is his department purely clerical?"1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
2
Of or relating to the clergy.
- Synonyms
- black-collar, cleric, clerical, pastoral
- Derived terms
- clerical collar, clerical error, clericalism, clericalist, clericality, clericalization, clericalize, clerically, clerical marriage, clerical script, interclerical, nonclerical, preclerical, pseudoclerical, semiclerical, unclerical
- Hyponyms
- ministerial, prelatical, priestly, rabbinic, rabbinical, sacerdotal