consistory

[ kuh n-sis-tuh-ree ]

/ kənˈsɪs tə ri /

noun, plural con·sis·to·ries.

any of various ecclesiastical councils or tribunals.

the place where such a council or tribunal meets.

the meeting of any such body.

Roman Catholic Church. a solemn assembly of the whole body of cardinals, summoned and presided over by the pope.

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.

(in certain Reformed churches) the governing board of a local church or congregation.

any assembly or council.

Obsolete. a council chamber.

Nearby words

Origin of consistory

1275–1325; Middle English consistorie < Anglo-French < Late Latin consistōrium meeting place, equivalent to Latin consist(ere) (see consist) + -(t)ōrium -tory²

Related formscon·sis·to·ri·al

[kon-si-stawr-ee-uh l, -stohr-] /ˌkɒn sɪˈstɔr i əl, -ˈstoʊr-/, con·sis·to·ri·an, adjectivenon·con·sis·to·ri·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for consistory

But at a consistory of cardinals in Vatican City on Monday, Francis made his case.
The Pope’s Risky Trip|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The law was made for man; the claims and instincts of womanhood must override the decrees of any Consistory Court.
Lola Montez|Edmund B. d'Auvergne
He died in 1451 as administrator of the consistory of the Utraquist Church.
A History of Bohemian Literature|Count Ltzow
Both chapels are stone-vaulted, but the northern has a feature which is not found in the Consistory Court.
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lincoln|A. F. Kendrick

The Consistory of Brandenburg, within whose jurisdiction Berlin lies, refused to admit him on account of his heterodox views.
Practical Essays|Alexander Bain
Here he was held in high esteem, and in 1715 became Primarius of his faculty and member of the Consistory.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for consistory

consistory

/ (kənˈsɪstərɪ) /

noun plural -ries

Church of England

the court of a diocese (other than Canterbury) administering ecclesiastical law
the area in a church where the consistory meets

RC Church an assembly of the cardinals and the pope

(in certain Reformed Churches) the governing body of a local congregation or church

archaic a council or assembly

Derived Formsconsistorial (ˌkɒnsɪˈstɔːrɪəl) or consistorian, adjective

Word Origin for consistory

C14: from Old French consistorie, from Medieval Latin consistōrium ecclesiastical tribunal, ultimately from Latin consistere to stand still

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for consistory

consistory

c.1300, "secular tribunal," from Old North French consistorie (Old French consistoire, 12c.) and directly from Late Latin consistorium "waiting room, meeting place of the imperial council," from Latin consistere (see consist). Meaning "Church council" is from early 14c.