clerk

1 of 2

noun

ˈklərk How to pronounce clerk (audio)
British usually
ˈklärk How to pronounce clerk (audio)
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

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 the few departments that held hearings on Wednesday, attendees reported chaotic and sluggish proceedings, with supervisors filling in for court clerks and at least one judge filling out minute orders by hand. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025 Clerk of Superior Court Elisa Chinn-Gary should have 249 clerks, the study says. Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
Sassoon, who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia and is a member of the conservative Federalist Society, skewered those political motivations in a lengthy resignation letter. Dave Lawler, Axios, 14 Feb. 2025 Blanche and Bove were each federal prosecutors in New York City and each clerked for two federal judges. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 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

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Clerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clerk. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

clerk

1 of 2 noun
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
: 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!