clerical

See also: clérical

English

Etymology

From Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”), from clēricus (“clergyman, priest”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈklɛɹɪkəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

clerical (not comparable)

1. of or relating to clerks or their work
   • 1899, Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, section 1

     ‘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.’

2. of or relating to the clergy

Derived terms

• clerical collar
• clerical error
• clerical marriage

Related terms

• clergy
• clergyman
• cleric
• clerk

Translations

of or relating to clerks or their work

• Bulgarian: канцеларски (bg) (kancelarski)
• Czech: úřednický
• Finnish: toimisto-
• French: administratif (fr)

• Greek: υπαλληλικός (el) m (ypallilikós), γραφειοκρατικός (el) m (grafeiokratikós)
• Polish: biurowy (pl) m
• Russian: канцеля́рский (ru) (kanceljárskij)
• Scottish Gaelic: clèireachail

of or relating to the clergy

• Armenian: կղերական (hy) (kłerakan)
• Bulgarian: свещенически (bg) (svešteničeski), духовен (bg) (duhoven)
• Czech: kněžský (cs)
• Finnish: papillinen
• French: clérical (fr)
• German: klerikal (de), geistlich (de), priesterlich (de)
• Greek: κληρικός (el) m (klirikós), ιερατικός (el) m (ieratikós)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: geistlig

  Nynorsk: geistleg

• Russian: духо́вный (ru) (duxóvnyj), церко́вный (ru) (cerkóvnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: clèireachail
• Tagalog: simbahanin

Noun

clerical (plural clericals)

1. A member of the clergy.

Further reading

• clerical in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• clerical in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”), from clēricus (“clergyman, priest”).

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /klɨ.ɾi.ˈkaɫ/
• Hyphenation: cle‧ri‧cal

Adjective

clerical (plural clericais, comparable)

1. clerical

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Spanish

Adjective

clerical m, f (plural clericales)

1. clerical