chancery

American  

[chan-suh-ree] / ˈtʃæn sə ri /

noun

chanceries plural

1. the office or department of a chancellor; chancellery.

2. an office of public records, especially those of the Lord Chancellor in England.

3. (in England) the Lord Chancellor's court, now a division of the High Court of Justice.

4. Law.

   1. Also called court of chancery.  a court having jurisdiction in equity; court of equity.

   2. equity.

5. the administrative office of a diocese.

6. Roman Catholic Church. a department of the Curia Romana now having the responsibility for issuing bulls to establish new dioceses, benefices, etc.

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idioms

1. in chancery,

   1. Law. in litigation in a court of chancery.

   2. Wrestling, Boxing. (of a contestant's head) held under an opponent's arm.

   3. in a helpless or embarrassing position.

chancery British  

/ ˈtʃɑːnsərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: Chancery Division.  (in England) the Lord Chancellor's court, now a division of the High Court of Justice

2. Also called: court of chancery.  (in the US) a court of equity

3. the political section or offices of an embassy or legation

4. another name for chancellery

5. a court of public records; archives

6. Christianity a diocesan office under the supervision of a bishop's chancellor, having custody of archives, issuing official enactments, etc

7. 1. law (of a suit) pending in a court of equity

   2. wrestling boxing (of a competitor's head) locked under an opponent's arm

   3. in an awkward or helpless situation

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• chanceries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chancery

1325–75; Middle English chancerie, variant of chancelrie, syncopated variant of chancellerie chancellery

Example Sentences

Brahmbhatt first approached HPS in 2020 seeking to refinance that loan, according to an HPS suit filed in Delaware chancery court last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

The question isn’t whether chancery courts in 1789 issued nationwide injunctions.

From Slate • Jun. 27, 2025

The finished roll, which travelled in a big covering of unhistoric looking bubble wrap, was carefully signed by the clerk of the crown in chancery, Antonia Romeo.

From BBC • May 2, 2024

In the declaration filed Wednesday in a Nashville chancery court, Hall also lamented the deterioration of his relationship with and trust in his musical partner of more than a half-century.

From Washington Times • Nov. 29, 2023

Not even a dispensation obtained by some means from the imperial chancery, not even the power of the Church could avail to break the chain of servitude.”

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5 "Hinduism" to "Home, Earls of" by Various