subordinate official; petty official
Formal or literary term for a low-ranking government official or clerk. Rare in everyday conversation; mostly found in historical or bureaucratic contexts.
He worked as a subordinate official at the government office.
The petty official's work mainly involved organizing documents.
Composed of 属 (subordinate, belong to) and 吏 (official, clerk). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of a low-ranking official.