manse

American  

[mans] / mæns /

noun

1. the house and land occupied by a minister or parson.

2. the dwelling of a landholder; mansion.

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manse British  

/ mæns /

noun

1. (in certain religious denominations) the house provided for a minister

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Etymology

Origin of manse

1480–90; earlier manss, mans < Medieval Latin mānsus a farm, dwelling, noun use of past participle of Latin manēre to dwell. See remain

Explanation

Manse is an old-fashioned word used to describe the house a Protestant minister lives in. It can also refer more informally to a grand house or the main house of an estate. The housing that a church provides for a member of its clergy can be called a clergy house, parish house, parsonage, rectory — or a manse, in the case of a Presbyterian minister's home. If your best friend lives in a twelve-bedroom house with a staff of servants, you might call her home a manse as well. The word manse, like mansion, comes from the Medieval Latin mansus, "dwelling."

Example Sentences

Part of the Shore Road in Whiteabbey, at the junctions of the Old Manse Road and the main Shore Road, was closed for much of Sunday but has since reopened.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2023

Official results will be released by the end of the week, Bakary Manse, vice president of the electoral commission, said.

From Washington Times • Oct. 20, 2020

Blane McIlroy, 26, of Royal Lodge Road, Belfast, is charged with one count of exposure while Rory Harrison, 25, of Manse Road, Belfast is charged with perverting the course of justice.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2018

On the fast descent of the narrow Col de Manse into Gap, Geraint Thomas, a key member of Froome’s Team Sky, was bumped by Warren Barguil, a French rider, from behind.

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2015

To reach the vestry, instead of going round by the big door, the Manse party went through the choir-seat and out of the side-door.

From The Setons by Douglas, O.