clerical

See also: clérical

English

Etymology

From Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”), from clēricus (“clergyman, priest”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈklɛɹɪkəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

clerical (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to clerks or their work.
   • 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I:

     ‘The groans of this sick person,’ he said, ‘distract my attention. And without that it is extremely difficult to guard against clerical errors in this climate.’

2. Of or relating to the clergy.

   Synonym: cleric

Derived terms

• clerical collar
• clerical error
• clericalism
• clericalist
• clericality
• clericalization
• clericalize
• clerically
• clerical marriage
• clerical script
• interclerical
• nonclerical
• preclerical
• pseudoclerical
• semiclerical
• unclerical

 

Related terms

• clergy
• clergyman
• cleric
• clerk

Translations

of or relating to clerks or their work

• Bulgarian: канцеларски (bg) (kancelarski)
• Czech: úřednický
• Dutch: administratief (nl)
• Finnish: toimisto-
• French: administratif (fr)
• Greek: υπαλληλικός (el) (ypallilikós), γραφειοκρατικός (el) (grafeiokratikós)
• Irish: cléireachais (genitive form of noun)
• Italian: d'ufficio, amministrativo (it), burocratico (it)
• Manx: cleree (genitive form of noun)
• Polish: biurowy (pl)
• Russian: канцеля́рский (ru) (kanceljárskij)
• Scottish Gaelic: clèireachail

of or relating to the clergy

• Armenian: կղերական (hy) (kġerakan)
• Bulgarian: свещенически (bg) (svešteničeski), духовен (bg) (duhoven)
• Catalan: clerical (ca)
• Czech: kněžský (cs)
• Dutch: klerikaal (nl), geestelijk (nl)
• Finnish: papillinen
• French: clérical (fr)
• Galician: clerical (gl)
• German: klerikal (de), geistlich (de), priesterlich (de)
• Greek: κληρικός (el) (klirikós), ιερατικός (el) (ieratikós)

  Ancient: κληρικός (klērikós)

• Irish: cléiriúil
• Italian: clericale (it)
• Manx: agglishagh, saggyrtoil
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: geistlig

  Nynorsk: geistleg

• Portuguese: clerical
• Russian: духо́вный (ru) (duxóvnyj), церко́вный (ru) (cerkóvnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: clèireachail
• Spanish: clerical (es)
• Tagalog: simbahanin
• Welsh: clerigol (cy)

Noun

clerical (plural clericals)

1. (now uncommon) A member of the clergy. [from 19th c.]
2. (in the plural, informal) Clerical garments. [from 19th c.]

Further reading

• “clerical”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “clerical”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [klə.ɾiˈkal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [kle.ɾiˈkal]
• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

clerical m or f (masculine and feminine plural clericals)

1. clerical (of or relating to the clergy)

Derived terms

• clericalisme

Further reading

• “clerical” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “clerical”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “clerical” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “clerical” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”).

Adjective

clerical m or f (plural clericais)

1. clerical (of or relating to the clergy)

Derived terms

• clericalismo

Related terms

• clero

Further reading

• “clerical”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin clēricālis (“clerical”), from clēricus (“clergyman, priest”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kle.ɾiˈkaw/ [kle.ɾiˈkaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /klɛ.ɾiˈkal/ [klɛ.ɾiˈkaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /klɛ.ɾiˈkal/ [klɛ.ɾiˈkaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /klɛ.ɾiˈka.li/

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: re‧ci‧tal

Adjective

clerical m or f (plural clericais)

1. clerical (of or relating to the clergy)

Derived terms

• anticlerical
• clericalismo

Related terms

• clero

Further reading

• “clerical”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French clérical, from Latin clericalis. By surface analysis, cleric +‎ -al.

Adjective

clerical m or n (feminine singular clericală, masculine plural clericali, feminine and neuter plural clericale)

1. clerical

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	clerical		clericală		clericali	clericale
	definite	clericalul		clericala		clericalii	clericalele
genitive- dative	indefinite	clerical		clericale		clericali	clericale
	definite	clericalului		clericalei		clericalilor	clericalelor

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin clēricālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kleɾiˈkal/ [kle.ɾiˈkal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: cle‧ri‧cal

Adjective

clerical m or f (masculine and feminine plural clericales)

1. (relational) clergy; clerical (of or relating to the clergy)

Derived terms

• anticlerical
• clericalismo

 

Related terms

• clérigo

 

Further reading

• “clerical”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10