Clergy and Clerk Were Once the Same People
The clergy are ordained religious ministers. Because they were the only literate class, their name became the word for an office worker.
The clergy are the body of people ordained for religious service. *Clerk* is the same word: in medieval Europe the clergy were effectively the only literate class, so anyone who could read and write was a clerk. When literacy spread, the religious meaning stayed with clergy and the writing job kept the name clerk.
- Ordained religious ministers. *Members of the clergy.*
- Clergyman / clergywoman. *A local clergywoman.*
- Clerical — of the clergy, or of office work. *Clerical duties.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | clergy | The parish clergy. |
| Person | clergyman | An elderly clergyman. |
| Adjective | clerical | A clerical collar. |
| Related | clerk | A filing clerk. |
| Opposite | laity | The laity. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The clergy were consulted.Usually treated as plural.
- A clerical error delayed it.Office sense.
- Benefit of clergy once meant trial by church court.A medieval legal privilege.
Related terms
- Laity — those who are not ordained
- Clerical collar — the white band worn by many clergy
- Benefit of clergy — a medieval right to be tried in church courts
- Clerk — originally anyone literate
- Cleric — an individual member of the clergy
From Old French *clergie*, from Latin *clericus*, from Greek *klerikos*, from *kleros*, a lot or inheritance — the clergy being the Lord's portion.
Is clergy singular or plural?
It is usually treated as plural: the clergy were consulted. A single member is a cleric or clergyman.
Why does clerk mean an office worker?
Because in medieval Europe the clergy were the literate class, so any writer of documents was called a clerk.