What does "clerk" mean?
One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker.
Clerk
/klɑːk/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker.
- Grammar: clerk is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abbe, academician, accountant, accountant general.
- Useful contrasts: administrator, boss, customer.
- Usage evidence: The robber aimed his gun at the clerk.
How to use "clerk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "clerk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "clerk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "clerk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "clerk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "clerk" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abbe" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "clerk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker.
"As office boy I made such a mark That they gave me the post of a junior clerk."
- 2 an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts) wordnet
- 3 One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker.; A salesclerk; a person who serves customers in a store or market.
- 4 a salesperson in a store wordnet
- 5 One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker.; A law clerk.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker.; An employee at a hotel who deals with guests.
- 7 One who occupationally provides assistance by working with records, accounts, letters, etc.; an office worker.; The chief legal advisor of a legislature or legislative chamber, who is usually also responsible for keeping minutes of sittings.
- 8 A facilitator of a Quaker meeting for business affairs. Quakerism
- 9 In the Church of England, the layman that assists in the church service, especially in reading the responses (also called parish clerk and Bible clerk). archaic
"God save the King! Will no man say, amen? / Am I both priest and clerk? Well then, amen."
- 10 A cleric or clergyman (the legal title for clergy of the Church of England is "Clerk in Holy Orders", still used in legal documents and cherished by some of their number). dated
- 11 A scholar. obsolete
"13th century, Traditional carol, And all was for an appel, an appel that he toke/As clerkès finden written in their boke."
Verb
- 1 To act as a clerk, to perform the duties or functions of a clerk.
"The law school graduate clerked for the supreme court judge for the summer."
- 2 work as a clerk, as in the legal business wordnet
- 3 To assemble information about a patient during their initial assessment by actions such as a taking a detailed medical history and performing a physical examination.
"The best preparation for the long case is to clerk patients on the wards and in outpatients within a strict 60 minutes. This would include deciding on a policy of management."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The robber aimed his gun at the clerk."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "clerk"?
Common synonyms include: abbe, academician, accountant, accountant general, acolyte, actuary.
How do you use "clerk" in a sentence?
The robber aimed his gun at the clerk.
How do you pronounce "clerk"?
Pronounced /klɑːk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English clerc, from Old English clerc, from Late Latin clēricus (“priest, clergyman, cleric”, also generally “learned man, clerk”), from Ancient Greek κληρικός (klērikós, “of the clergy”, adj. in church jargon), from κλῆρος (klêros, “lot, inheritance”, originally “shard used in casting lots”). Doublet of cleric. Compare typologically Russian дьяк (dʹjak) (akin to дья́кон (dʹjákon)).
Etymology 2
Derived from the noun clerk