noun
clerk
klahk
noun
1
An office worker who handles records, correspondence, or accounts.
"The clerk filed the documents in the wrong cabinet."
2
A person who assists customers in a shop, hotel, or similar business.
"The hotel clerk checked them in and handed over the room key."
3
A law clerk who assists a judge with research and case preparation.
"She spent a year as a clerk for a federal judge before joining a law firm."
How to Use Clerk
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone whose job involves paperwork, records, or serving customers, especially in an office, shop, or court.
UK vs US
Pronounced "clark" in British English but "clurk" in American English.
Common pairings
law clerk
sales clerk
hotel clerk
file clerk
Word Forms
clerked past tense, clerks plural, Clerks plural, clerks singular
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Etymology
From Old English clerc, ultimately from Greek klerikos, "of the clergy" — in medieval times, clerks were often literate churchmen, since few others could read or write.