vigil

[ vij-uhl ]
See synonyms for vigil on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. wakefulness or watchfulness maintained for any reason during the normal hours for sleeping:They passed many hours in vigil.

  2. a watch or a period of watchful attention maintained at night or at other times: The nurse kept her vigil at the bedside of the dying man.

  1. a quiet demonstration to support a cause, protest an injustice, honor the dead, etc.: A candlelight vigil in remembrance of the two fallen officers will be held tonight at sundown.

  2. Ecclesiastical.

    • Sometimes vigils . a nocturnal devotional exercise or service, especially on the eve before a church festival:The Easter vigil reflects on the holy sacraments as well as the resurrection and ascension of Christ.

    • the eve, or day and night, before a church festival, especially an eve that is a fast.

  3. a period of wakefulness from inability to sleep.

Origin of vigil

1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English vigil(i)e, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin vigilia “eve of a holy day,” special use of Latin vigilia “watchfulness,” equivalent to vigil “sentry” + -ia -y3

Words Nearby vigil

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How to use vigil in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vigil

vigil

/ (ˈvɪdʒɪl) /


noun
  1. a purposeful watch maintained, esp at night, to guard, observe, pray, etc

  2. the period of such a watch

  1. RC Church Church of England the eve of certain major festivals, formerly observed as a night spent in prayer: often marked by fasting and abstinence and a special Mass and divine office

  2. a period of sleeplessness; insomnia

Origin of vigil

1
C13: from Old French vigile, from Medieval Latin vigilia watch preceding a religious festival, from Latin: vigilance, from vigil alert, from vigēre to be lively

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