clerical

/ˈklɛrəkəl/

/ˈklɛrɪkəl/

Other forms: clerically

Anything related to office work is called clerical, especially the more menial and boring jobs such as filing and administration. You might say "The Office" is a clerical comedy.

In older times clerical had an additional common meaning of referring to anything to do with the clergy — those ordained for religious work, usually in the Christian faith. Clerical comes from the old Latin term clericus, meaning a "churchman," from which cleric later came, meaning a priest or religious leader. To have "a clerical air" means to be clearly identifiable either as an ink-stained office wretch or a member of the cloth.

Definitions of clerical

1. adjective

   appropriate for or engaged in office work
   “clerical skills”

   “a clerical job”

   “the clerical staff”

   synonyms:

   white-collar

   of or designating salaried professional or clerical work or workers
2. adjective

   of or relating to clerks
   “clerical work”
3. adjective

   of or relating to the clergy
   “clerical collar”