cy pres

or cy·pres

[ see-prey ]

/ ˈsi ˈpreɪ /

Law.

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preposition

as near as possible.

noun

the doctrine, applied especially to cases of charitable trusts or donations, that, in place of an impossible or illegal condition, limitation, or object, allows the nearest practicable one to be substituted.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of cy pres

1475–85; <Anglo-French: literally, as near (compare French si près)

Words nearby cy pres

Cynwulf, CYO, CYOD, cyperaceous, cypher, cy pres, cypress, cypress knee, cypress pine, cypress spurge, cypress vine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cy pres in a sentence

The Cy-Fair campus is one of six that make up the Lone Star College System.
Another Campus Attack, This Time With a Knife|Christine Pelisek|April 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“It was a chaotic scene,” said Capt. Robert Rasa of the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department.
Another Campus Attack, This Time With a Knife|Christine Pelisek|April 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I like quarters, though you can skip this step by buying pres-sliced and I won't tell.
The Gadget Chef: Reconstructed Chicken Soup|Megan McArdle|November 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Cy Twombly, who died yesterday in Rome, was in every way too big for modern art.
Death of a Modernist Master|Simon Schama|July 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST

A month after meeting Stella, Castelli showed Cy Twombly, another Southerner like Rauschenberg and Johns.
The Svengali of Pop Art|Annie Cohen-Solal|May 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Celuy-cy avoit souvent esvad le danger d'estre noy, et tout fraischement le beau jour de la Pentecoste dernire.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Of course Cy goes practically every week, but I have always wanted another girl to go with.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
But still more curiously, Jean de Meun here rimes nombre, pres. sing.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
"Mebbe it is, and mebbe it isn't," returned Cy Parker stoutly.
Stories in Light and Shadow|Bret Harte
"Cy's got a hard heart, Ruth," he said with a sudden gravity that came strangely through his youthfulness.
Fidelity|Susan Glaspell

British Dictionary definitions for cy pres

cy pres

/ (siː ˈpreɪ) /

noun

law the doctrine that the intention of a donor or testator should be carried out as closely as practicable when literal compliance is impossible

Word Origin for cy pres

C15: from Anglo-French, literally: as near (as possible, etc)

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