consistory
Americannoun
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any of various ecclesiastical councils or tribunals.
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the place where such a council or tribunal meets.
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the meeting of any such body.
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Roman Catholic Church. a solemn assembly of the whole body of cardinals, summoned and presided over by the pope.
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Anglican Church. a diocesan court for dealing with ecclesiastical and spiritual questions, held in the cathedral church and presided over by the bishop, the bishop's chancellor, or the commissary.
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(in certain Reformed churches) the governing board of a local church or congregation.
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any assembly or council.
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Obsolete. a council chamber.
noun
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Church of England
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the court of a diocese (other than Canterbury) administering ecclesiastical law
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the area in a church where the consistory meets
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RC Church an assembly of the cardinals and the pope
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(in certain Reformed Churches) the governing body of a local congregation or church
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archaic a council or assembly
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of consistory
1275–1325; Middle English consistorie < Anglo-French < Late Latin consistōrium meeting place, equivalent to Latin consist ( ere ) ( see consist) + -( t ) ōrium -tory 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At a ceremony in St. Peter's Square known as a consistory, Francis "created" 21 new cardinals, the red-hatted "princes of the Church" who are his closest advisers at the Vatican and around the world.
From Reuters • Sep. 30, 2023
Francis turns 87 in December and whether he convokes another consistory next year or in 2025 depends on how long he lives.
From Reuters • Sep. 30, 2023
After the consistory, those from Europe will account for 42% of the College of Cardinals, compared to 52% in 2013, when Francis’ pontificate began.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2022
After the next consistory, the number of voting-age cardinals from Asia and Africa will have nearly doubled, compared with the conclave that elected Francis.
From Washington Post • Jun. 7, 2022
In the secret consistory, the Holy Father again referred to the insulting measures of the separation law.
From The War Upon Religion Being an Account of the Rise and Progress of Anti-christianism in Europe by Cunningham, Francis A. (Francis Aloysius)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
