chapel

American  

[chap-uhl] / ˈtʃæp əl /

noun

1. a private or subordinate place of prayer or worship; oratory.

2. a separately dedicated part of a church, or a small independent churchlike edifice, devoted to special services.

3. a room or building for worship in an institution, palace, etc.

4. (in Great Britain) a place of worship for members of various dissenting Protestant churches, as Baptists or Methodists.

5. a separate place of public worship dependent on the church of a parish.

6. a religious service in a chapel.

   Don't be late for chapel!

7. a funeral home or the room in which funeral services are held.

8. a choir or orchestra of a chapel, court, etc.

9. a print shop or printing house.

10. an association of employees in a print shop for dealing with their interests, problems, etc.

---

verb (used with object)

chapeled, chapeling, chapelled, chapelling

1. Nautical. to maneuver (a sailing vessel taken aback) by the helm alone until the wind can be recovered on the original tack.

adjective

1. (in England) belonging to any of various dissenting Protestant sects.

chapel British  

/ ˈtʃæpəl /

noun

1. a place of Christian worship in a larger building, esp a place set apart, with a separate altar, in a church or cathedral

2. a similar place of worship in or attached to a large house or institution, such as a college, hospital or prison

3. a church subordinate to a parish church

4. 1. a Nonconformist place of worship

   2. Nonconformist religious practices or doctrine

   3. ( as adjective ) Compare church

      he is chapel, but his wife is church

5. (in Scotland) a Roman Catholic church

6. the members of a trade union in a particular newspaper office, printing house, etc

7. a printing office

---

Etymology

Origin of chapel

1175–1225; Middle English chapele < Old French < Late Latin cappella hooded cloak, equivalent to capp ( a ) ( cap ¹ ) + -ella diminutive suffix; first applied to the sanctuary where the cloak of St. Martin (4th-century bishop of Tours) was kept as a relic

Explanation

A chapel is a place of worship. It's usually smaller than a church, and it has its own altar. A chapel is a small place of worship. Chapels are Christian and are often part of a larger institution, such as a hospital or prison. Universities often have a chapel. A chapel is a place people pray and find community, or even get married. The song “Chapel of Love” was a big hit in the 1960’s. In it, The Dixie Cups sing, “going to the chapel and I’m gonna get married….”

Example Sentences

Leo plans to pray privately in the chapel dedicated to 19 priests and nuns murdered during Algeria's 1992-2002 civil war.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

On its website, the 1887 Fund calls the chapel a “beacon of hope for L.A.’s unhoused veterans.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

“It’s the first real indicator that the VA is willing to step up and get that chapel restored, which frankly I think is their responsibility.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Hundreds of mourners followed the cortege from Ms Doherty's parents' home to Holy Family chapel in Ballymagroarty.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

We would walk through its tree-lined campus, peek into college classrooms, and admire its magnificent chapel with its vaulted ceiling, grand columns, and multicolored stained glass.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• church
• sanctuary
• shrine