clerk

1 of 2

noun

ˈklərk 

British usually

ˈklärk 

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 

 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

• register
• registrar
• scribe
• secretary

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

Noun

Court documents suggest Dugan was alerted to the agents' presence by her clerk, who was informed by an attorney that the agents appeared to be in the hallway. —Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 13 May 2025

The ‘Appellate Guru’: Alexandra A.E. Shapiro Founding partner of New York firm Shapiro Arato Bach, Shapiro began her legal career more than 30 years ago serving as one of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s first clerks. —Claudia Rosenbaum, Vulture, 13 May 2025

Verb

Subramanian was appointed to the bench in 2023 by former President Joe Biden, and previously clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 14 May 2025

Following graduation, Clement clerked for Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as well as for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025

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

Phrases Containing clerk

• city clerk
• file clerk
• law clerk
• shipping clerk
• stated clerk
• town clerk

Rhymes for clerk

• berk
• birk
• cirque
• dirk
• erk
• irk
• jerk
• kirk
• lurk
• merc
• merch
• merk

Kids Definition

clerk

1 of 2 noun

ˈklərk 

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 

: 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