clerk

noun \ ˈklərk , British usually ˈklärk \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of clerk

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

play \-ˌship\ noun

See clerk defined for English-language learners

See clerk defined for kids

Examples of clerk in a Sentence

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 of clerk from the Web

Both the Election Commission and the Kane County clerk questioned whether the city had standing to intervene in the transition.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora aldermen question referendum-related legal bill," 11 Apr. 2018
Orange County voters in 2014 supported revamping the county charter to include non-partisan elections for the clerk of circuit court, comptroller, property appraiser, sheriff, supervisor of elections and tax collector.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida Supreme Court will hear case on Orange County's nonpartisan elections," 6 Apr. 2018
In the November 2012 election, according to information posted on the Cook County clerk’s website, 79.26 percent of voters in River Forest rejected the proposal to allow the village to become a home-rule community.

— steve schering, chicagotribune.com, "Home rule in River Forest? Proposal to lower population threshold in state could make it possible," 28 Mar. 2018
An elaborate voter-registration process set up by Oregon Secretary of State Norma Paulus and the Wasco County clerk deterred the homeless residents from trying to register.

— win mccormack, The New Republic, "Outside the Limits of the Human Imagination," 27 Mar. 2018
Woodhams said post-election audits conducted by the Bureau of Elections and county clerks usually happen weeks or months after election night.

— alice yin, Detroit Free Press, "Manual election audits to debut in Michigan 2018 race," 18 Mar. 2018
The Bullitt County clerk later refuted Rebecca Johnson's claims and said there was no voter fraud.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Rebecca Johnson quits District 49 race a month after losing special election," 12 Mar. 2018
County elections boards are made up of a Democrat, a Republican and the county clerk.

— fatima hussein, Indianapolis Star, "Lawsuit urges federal judge to add more early-voting sites in Marion County," 9 Mar. 2018
With a 2-1 vote Thursday, the Porter County Election Board returned election duties to the county clerk from the Voter Registration Office for the first time in what one official estimated was 50 years.

— amy lavalley, Post-Tribune, "Clerk to take over Porter County election duties," 8 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clerk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of clerk

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

clerk Synonyms

Other Job Terms

factotum, milliner, ostler, scrivener, tinker, webster, wordsmith

clerk

verb

Definition of clerk

intransitive verb

: to act or work as a clerk

clerked for a court judge

See clerk defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of clerk from the Web

After law school, Katchen clerked for Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, the president's older sister, on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

— erica martinson, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump nominates Jonathan Katchen as Alaska district judge," 10 Apr. 2018
Giampietro clerked for three years for Randa after receiving undergraduate and law degrees from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

— daniel bice, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Catholic bishops ask Tammy Baldwin not to block judicial nomination of Gordon Giampietro," 27 Feb. 2018
Taylor clerked for all nine of New Orleans' Civil District Court judges and then for state Supreme Court Justice Mack Barham.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "Phyllis Taylor, carrier of the Taylor Foundation torch: 1 of 300," 25 Feb. 2018
Florida ban on restoring felons’ voting rights is unconstitutional, judge rules Walker clerked for two leading judges, former chief justice Stephen Grimes of the Florida Supreme Court and U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle.

— steve bousquet, emily l. mahoney and lawrence mower, miamiherald, "Federal judge, Florida governor keep clashing | Miami Herald," 2 Feb. 2018
In contrast to the aging Christian-right warhorse Akin, Hawley is 30-something and whip-smart, a Yale Law School grad who clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Missouri GOP Senate Hopeful Goes Off the Deep End on the Sexual Revolution and Human Trafficking," 1 Feb. 2018
Plecnik is a law professor at Cleveland State University who previously clerked for a judge on the United States Tax Court.

— andrew j. tobias, cleveland.com, "Behind-the-scenes fight over next Ohio House speaker looms over still-forming state legislative races," 21 Dec. 2017
After attending Yale College and the University of Chicago Law School, Ms. Rao clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and worked as a lawyer in the George W. Bush White House.

— jess bravin, WSJ, "Trump Regulation ‘Czar’ Cleared by Senate," 10 July 2017
His shift to the federal appeals court based in New Orleans is something of a homecoming for Willett, who clerked at the 5th Circuit after law school a quarter century ago.

— andrea zelinski, San Antonio Express-News, "Willett takes oath for 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals," 2 Jan. 2018

Origin and Etymology of clerk

see ¹clerk

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1551

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

CLERK Defined for English Language Learners

clerk

noun

Definition of clerk for English Language Learners

: a person whose job is to keep track of records and documents for a business or office
: an elected or appointed official whose job is to take care of official papers and business for a court or government
: a person who works in a store

clerk

verb

Definition of clerk for English Language Learners

: to work as a clerk

CLERK Defined for Kids

clerk

noun \ ˈklərk \

Definition of clerk for Students

1 : a person whose job is to keep records or accounts

2 : a salesperson in a store

clerk

verb

Definition of clerk for Students

clerked; clerking

: to act or work as a clerk

Medical Dictionary

clerk

noun \ ˈklərk \

medical Definition of clerk

: a third- or fourth-year medical student undergoing clinical training in a clerkship

—

clerk

intransitive verb

Law Dictionary

clerk

noun

legal Definition of clerk

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

intransitive verb

legal Definition of clerk

: to act or work as a clerk

clerked for a Supreme Court justice

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clerk

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Origin and Etymology of clerk

clerk Synonyms

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Other Job Terms

clerk

Definition of clerk

Recent Examples of clerk from the Web

Origin and Etymology of clerk

CLERK Defined for English Language Learners

clerk

Definition of clerk for English Language Learners

clerk

Definition of clerk for English Language Learners

CLERK Defined for Kids

clerk

Definition of clerk for Students

clerk

Definition of clerk for Students

Medical Dictionary

clerk

medical Definition of clerk

clerk

Law Dictionary

clerk

legal Definition of clerk

clerkship

clerk

legal Definition of clerk

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