clerk

1 of 2

noun

ˈklərk How to pronounce clerk (audio)
British usually
ˈklärk How to pronounce clerk (audio)
Synonyms of clerknext
1
: cleric
2
archaic : scholar
3
a
: an official responsible (as to a government agency) for correspondence, records, and accounts and vested with specified powers or authority (as to issue writs as ordered by a court)
city clerk
b
: one employed to keep records or accounts or to perform general office work
a bank clerk
c
: one who works at a sales or service counter
a store clerk
a grocery clerk
d
: a person (such as a law school graduate) who provides a judge, magistrate, or lawyer with assistance in such matters as research, writing, and analysis : law clerk
clerkship
ˈklərk-ˌship How to pronounce clerk (audio)
 British usually  ˈklärk-
noun

clerk

2 of 2

verb

clerked; clerking; clerks

intransitive verb

: to act or work as a clerk
clerked for a court judge

Synonyms

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of clerk in a Sentence

Noun Have the court clerk file your request with the judge. He works as a clerk in a local pet store. a sales clerk at a women's clothing store
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In its second phase, the website will host career pathways for 30 job titles, including wholesale sales representatives, security guards, shipping and inventory clerks and even human resources specialists. — Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 The judge in the case was another Floridian, a former justice of the peace, clerk of the court, and lawyer whose appointment was given the stamp of approval by Tallahassee newspapers. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
Perkins previously was at Jones Day and clerked at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to her LinkedIn profile. — Caitlin Owens, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025 Sassoon previously clerked for prominent conservative former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and was responsible for prosecuting Sam Bankman-Fried over the FTX crash. — Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clerk

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French clerk & Old English cleric, clerc, both from Late Latin clericus, from Late Greek klērikos, from Greek klēros lot, inheritance (in allusion to Deuteronomy 18:2), stick of wood; akin to Greek klan to break — more at clast

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1551, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clerk was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing clerk

Rhymes for clerk

See All Rhymes for clerk

Browse Nearby Words

clerisy
clerk
clerkess
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clerk. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

clerk

1 of 2 noun
ˈklərk How to pronounce clerk (audio)
1
: a person whose job is to keep records and accounts
town clerk
a stock clerk
2
: a salesperson in a store

clerk

2 of 2 verb
: to act or work as a clerk

Medical Definition

clerk

noun
ˈklərk How to pronounce clerk (audio)
: a third- or fourth-year medical student undergoing clinical training in a clerkship
clerk intransitive verb

Legal Definition

clerk

1 of 2 noun
1
: an official responsible (as to a court) for correspondence, records, and accounts and having specified powers or authority (as to issue writs)
a city clerk
clerk of court
2
a
: a person employed to keep records or accounts or to perform general office work
b
: a person (as a law student or graduate) employed by an attorney or judge to assist with case-related tasks (as research) compare paralegal
clerkship noun

clerk

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to act or work as a clerk
clerked for a Supreme Court justice

More from Merriam-Webster on clerk

Nglish: Translation of clerk for Spanish Speakers

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