clerical
gb/klˈɛɹɪkəl/ us/klˈɛɹɪkəl/
B2
English
~ 9100
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
relating to office or admin work
Describing office work like typing, filing, or keeping records.
Usage pattern:
clerical [work/task/error/staff/position]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the office-work meaning with the religious meaning of 'clerical'. In most business or office contexts, 'clerical' means office work, not church-related. Another mistake is writing *clinical error* when they mean *clerical error*; 'clinical' relates to medical treatment, not paperwork.
Synonyms
administrative (Often broader; can include organizing and managing, not just routine office tasks.)
|
office (More general and informal; can describe anything connected with an office, not only routine tasks.)
Antonyms
manual (Describes physical or hands-on work, contrasting with desk-based clerical work.)
Collocations
clerical work
|clerical staff
|clerical duties
|clerical position
|clerical jobs
|clerical error
Themes
work
|business
|office
Examples
- Most of her role is clerical work such as filing invoices and updating spreadsheets.
- The company is hiring additional clerical staff to handle the increased paperwork.
- He made a clerical error when he typed the wrong date on the contract.
- She started in a clerical position and later moved into management.
- The audit uncovered several clerical mistakes in the accounting records.
Learner examples
- I do simple clerical work in a small office.
- They hired two new clerical workers last month.
- There was a clerical error in my bank statement.
- Her job is mostly clerical tasks like typing and filing.
- He began his career in a clerical position.
adjective
C1
property
2
relating to priests or clergy
Describing things connected with priests or other church leaders, like their clothes or work.
Usage pattern:
clerical [collar/dress/authority/celibacy/duties]
Common mistake:
Learners often assume 'clerical' always means 'related to office work'. In religious news or church contexts, it usually means 'related to the clergy'. Check the subject: if it is about churches or priests, 'clerical' is likely religious, not office-related.
Synonyms
ecclesiastical (More formal and typically used in academic or legal contexts about church structures and laws.)
Antonyms
lay (Describes people or things that are not part of the clergy, the opposite of clerical in a church context.)
Collocations
clerical collar
|clerical dress
|clerical celibacy
|clerical hierarchy
|clerical duties
|clerical authority
Themes
religion
|church
Examples
- He was easily recognized by his clerical collar as a member of the clergy.
- The church tightened its rules on clerical conduct after the scandal.
- There has been long debate within the church over clerical celibacy.
- She is responsible for organizing clerical training within the diocese.
- The film explores the tension between clerical authority and ordinary believers.
Learner examples
- A priest often wears a white clerical collar.
- The new rules will change clerical life in the church.
- Clerical clothing is different from normal clothes.
- There were many clerical meetings at the church last week.
- He is studying for a clerical role in the church.
Noun
formal
C2
entity
3
person doing routine office work
An office worker whose main job is simple tasks like typing, filing, and checking documents.
Usage pattern:
a clerical [was hired/was promoted/handles paperwork]
Common mistake:
This noun use of 'clerical' is less common today; learners may overuse it instead of the more natural 'office worker' or 'administrative assistant'.
Synonyms
office worker (More common and neutral; does not suggest only routine or low-level work as strongly as 'clerical'.)
Antonyms
manager (Holds a supervisory or decision-making role rather than performing routine clerical tasks.)
Collocations
employ a clerical
|temporary clericals
|clericals and technicians
|junior clericals
Themes
work
|business
|office
Examples
- The company hired a clerical to help clear the backlog of paperwork.
- Junior clericals are responsible for entering data into the customer database.
- Engineers and clericals are represented by different unions in this firm.
Learner examples
- The office needs one more clerical.
- She started as a clerical and later became a supervisor.
- Many clericals work at desks all day.
Grammar
Dictionary form
clerical
IPA
GB/klˈɛɹɪkəl/
US/klˈɛɹɪkəl/
Syllables & stress
cler - ic - al (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cler)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: clerical
Word family
Expressions
clerical assistant
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl əsˈɪstənt/
fixed phrase
assistant doing clerical tasks
A person who helps in an office by doing simple tasks like typing, filing, and making copies.
Examples
- The law firm is looking for a full-time clerical assistant.
- As a clerical assistant, he supports the accounting team with paperwork.
- She worked as a clerical assistant during her summer break.
clerical collar
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl kˈɑlɚ/
fixed phrase
white collar worn by clergy
A white band around the neck that many Christian priests or ministers wear with their clothes.
Examples
- The man in the black shirt and clerical collar is the local priest.
- She recognized him as a pastor because of his clerical collar.
- Several members of the clergy in clerical collars stood at the front of the church.
clerical dress
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl dɹˈɛs/
fixed phrase
official clothing of clergy
The special clothes that priests or other church leaders wear for their work.
Examples
- The new rules govern appropriate clerical dress during services.
- He was still in full clerical dress when he arrived at the hospital.
- Changes in clerical dress have sparked debate within the church.
clerical duties
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl dˈutiz/
fixed phrase
assigned office-related tasks
The office tasks that are part of someone's job, such as filing, typing, or making copies.
Examples
- Her clerical duties include answering phones and updating client files.
- The internship involves basic clerical duties in the main office.
- He was given extra clerical duties during the busy season.
clerical error
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl ˈɛɹɚ/
fixed phrase
unintentional mistake in paperwork
A simple mistake in writing, typing, or entering information, usually in office or official documents.
Examples
- The bank said the extra charge was due to a clerical error.
- Because of a clerical error, her name was left off the list.
- The company corrected the clerical error on my invoice and sent a new one.
clerical jobs
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl d͡ʒˈɑbz/
fixed phrase
jobs with mainly office tasks
Jobs where people mostly do office tasks like typing, filing, and answering phones.
Examples
- Many clerical jobs have been automated in recent years.
- She searched online for clerical jobs in her area.
- Clerical jobs often require good computer skills.
clerical position
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl pəzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
job focused on clerical work
A job where most of the work is office tasks like typing, filing, and data entry.
Examples
- She applied for a clerical position in the finance department.
- This is an entry-level clerical position with opportunities for promotion.
- He moved from a clerical position to a sales role after two years.
clerical staff
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl stˈæf/
fixed phrase
group of office workers
The group of workers in an office whose jobs are mainly typing, filing, and other routine tasks.
Examples
- The clerical staff stayed late to finish processing the applications.
- We need more clerical staff to keep up with the paperwork.
- Clerical staff are not required to attend the management meeting.
clerical work
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl wˈɚk/
fixed phrase
routine office tasks
Office tasks like typing, filing, and entering information into a computer.
Examples
- Most of my clerical work can be done from home.
- She finds clerical work boring and wants a more active job.
- Clerical work takes up half of the manager's day.
clerical worker
1/klˈɛɹɪkəl wˈɚkɚ/
fixed phrase
person doing clerical work
A person whose job is to do office tasks like writing letters, filing, and entering data.
Examples
- As a clerical worker, she spends most of her time at a computer.
- The company is looking for an experienced clerical worker to join the team.
- Many clerical workers received training in new software.