The domain, rank, or collective body of clerks; the condition or status of being a clerk.
From 'clerk' plus the suffix '-dom' (from Old English and Germanic roots meaning 'domain' or 'kingdom'). Similar to 'kingdom' and 'christendom,' '-dom' creates nouns for realms or categories.
'-Dom' words are fascinating—'clerkdom' groups all clerks together as if they're inhabitants of a shared kingdom, just like 'Christendom' gathered all Christian lands, revealing how medieval people thought hierarchically about groups.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.