How do you pronounce clerical?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈklɛɹɪkəl/.

clerical

/ˈklɛɹɪkəl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.35 in modern English

Syllables: cler-i-cal
IPA: /ˈklɛɹɪkəl/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of or relating to clerks or their work.

adj

Of or relating to the clergy.

noun

A member of the clergy.

noun

Clerical garments.

Informal

Example Sentences

"‘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.’"
""Yes," agreed Carrados, "naturally—where they make the Bank of England note paper. And how extraordinarily interesting his work there must be. Has he to do directly with the paper when it's made or is his department purely clerical?""

Etymology

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

Word Breakdown

Root: clēricālis

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈklɛɹɪkəl/

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

clericals (plural)

Derived Forms

clericalism clericalist clericality clericalization clericalize clerically interclerical nonclerical preclerical pseudoclerical semiclerical unclerical

Phrases

clerical collar clerical error clerical marriage clerical script

Frequently Paired Words

clergy clergyman cleric clerk holy sanctified

Synonyms

black-collar cleric blackcoat clergymember clergyperson clerical pastoral

Antonyms

lay secular

Rhymes With

numerical chimerical