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
clerked; clerking; clerks
: to act or work as a clerk
clerked for a court judge
Synonyms
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
Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2023
Paxton stood flanked by Buzbee and another attorney as a clerk read the articles of impeachment.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
The hotel clerk asked the couple what their situation was.
—David Hall, Baltimore Sun, 5 Sep. 2023
Read full article The clerk working at the gas station reported a man assaulted him and demanded money before fleeing toward Central Street, police said.
—Claire Law, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2023
If the body needs to be moved to its final resting place, a burial transit permit is required and can be filed with the town clerk, according to the Vermont Department of Health.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 25 Aug. 2023
The clerk will give you a case number, assign a judge or magistrate and give you a hearing date notice.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 22 Aug. 2023
Dunmore is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday, the Montgomery County court clerk’s office said.
—Jason Hanna, CNN, 24 Aug. 2023
Yolanda, a longtime clerk at the St. John’s County Courts, took time off to attend games.
—Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023
Holly Bailey, Amy Gardner, Patrick Marley and Jon Swaine, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Aug. 2023
Eastman clerked for Clarence Thomas, worked at Chapman University
Eastman, 63, received his bachelor's degree from the University of Dallas and later attended law school at the University of Chicago.
—Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2023
John Eastman, who Bloomberg News has identified as co-conspirator No. 2 in the indictment, once clerked for the US Supreme Court, worked at the white-shoe law firm Kirkland & Ellis, ran for California attorney general and taught constitutional law at Chapman University.
—Ryan Teague Beckwith, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2023
Fitzpatrick, who clerked for former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, favors appointments, the most reliable path to conservative justices.
—USA Today, 24 July 2023
The exchange caught the attention of Erik Scharf, who clerked alongside Clark in 1995-1996 for an appeals court judge, Danny Boggs.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023
Eastman, a conservative attorney who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, crafted a legal strategy that involved creating slates of pro-Trump electors in states that Joe Biden won.
—Rachel Weiner, Amy B Wang, Tom Jackman, Jacqueline Alemany, Holly Bailey and Spencer S. Hsu, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Aug. 2023
After the bride walked down the aisle, the service was officiated by Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who Eve clerked for, at the foot of Mount Crested Butte.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 5 July 2023
Before becoming a federal judge, Cannon spent time clerking for a conservative federal judge and working for the major law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
—Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA TODAY, 9 June 2023
See More
Noun
The clerk told investigators Bonner was carrying a gun in his right front pants pocket.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2023
Paxton stood flanked by Buzbee and another attorney as a clerk read the articles of impeachment.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
The hotel clerk asked the couple what their situation was.
—David Hall, Baltimore Sun, 5 Sep. 2023
Read full article The clerk working at the gas station reported a man assaulted him and demanded money before fleeing toward Central Street, police said.
—Claire Law, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2023
If the body needs to be moved to its final resting place, a burial transit permit is required and can be filed with the town clerk, according to the Vermont Department of Health.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 25 Aug. 2023
The clerk will give you a case number, assign a judge or magistrate and give you a hearing date notice.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 22 Aug. 2023
Dunmore is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday, the Montgomery County court clerk’s office said.
—Jason Hanna, CNN, 24 Aug. 2023
Yolanda, a longtime clerk at the St. John’s County Courts, took time off to attend games.
—Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023
Verb
Eastman, a conservative attorney who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, played a key role in developing an outlandish legal strategy to try to help Trump stay in power by using the vice president’s ceremonial role overseeing the election certification proceeding.
—Holly Bailey, Amy Gardner, Patrick Marley and Jon Swaine, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Aug. 2023
Eastman clerked for Clarence Thomas, worked at Chapman University
Eastman, 63, received his bachelor's degree from the University of Dallas and later attended law school at the University of Chicago.
—Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2023
John Eastman, who Bloomberg News has identified as co-conspirator No. 2 in the indictment, once clerked for the US Supreme Court, worked at the white-shoe law firm Kirkland & Ellis, ran for California attorney general and taught constitutional law at Chapman University.
—Ryan Teague Beckwith, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2023
Fitzpatrick, who clerked for former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, favors appointments, the most reliable path to conservative justices.
—USA Today, 24 July 2023
The exchange caught the attention of Erik Scharf, who clerked alongside Clark in 1995-1996 for an appeals court judge, Danny Boggs.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023
Eastman, a conservative attorney who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, crafted a legal strategy that involved creating slates of pro-Trump electors in states that Joe Biden won.
—Rachel Weiner, Amy B Wang, Tom Jackman, Jacqueline Alemany, Holly Bailey and Spencer S. Hsu, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Aug. 2023
After the bride walked down the aisle, the service was officiated by Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who Eve clerked for, at the foot of Mount Crested Butte.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 5 July 2023
Before becoming a federal judge, Cannon spent time clerking for a conservative federal judge and working for the major law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
—Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA TODAY, 9 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clerk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Dictionary Entries Near clerk
Cite this Entry
“Clerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clerk. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
clerk
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
Legal Definition
clerk
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
Britannica English: Translation of clerk for Arabic Speakers
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