commandery

[kuh-man-duh-ree, -mahn-]

noun

plural

commanderies 

1. the office or rank of a commander.

2. the district of a commander.

3. a district controlled by a commander of certain medieval orders of knights.

4. a local branch or lodge of certain secret or fraternal orders.

Word History and Origins

Origin of commandery¹

1400–50; late Middle English. See commander, -y ³

Example Sentences

He however candidly acknowledged, that the new order would be stronger than the old one, and so more zealous to combat the infidels, and that many commanderies might be suppressed, and some saving effected thereby.

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In this village, which is on the direct road from London to Lincoln, there was a commandery, or associated body of Knights Templars, founded in the time of Richard I., by John le Mareshall.

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The function of receiver consisted in collecting the revenues of the various commanderies on account of the knights of Rhodes actually at Malta.

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The property of the order was divided into “priorates,” subdivided into “bailiwicks,” which in turn were divided into “commanderies”; these were placed in charge of a “commendator” or commander.

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In all, there were two abbeys, two collegiate churches, the cathedral, forty-nine chapels, thirty-nine monasteries, two convents for women, and many commanderies of the Teutonic order and the Order of Malta.

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