vestry
Americannoun
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a room in or a building attached to a church, in which the vestments, and sometimes liturgical objects, are kept; sacristy.
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(in some churches) a room in or a building attached to a church, used as a chapel, for prayer meetings, for the Sunday school, etc.
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Episcopal Church. a committee elected by members of a congregation to serve with the churchwardens in managing the temporal affairs of the church.
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Church of England. a meeting attended by all the parishioners or by a committee of parishioners during which the official business of the church is discussed.
noun
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a room in or attached to a church in which vestments, sacred vessels, etc, are kept
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a room in or attached to some churches, used for Sunday school, meetings, etc
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Church of England
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a meeting of all the members of a parish or their representatives, to transact the official business of the parish
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the body of members meeting for this; the parish council
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Episcopal Church Anglican Church a committee of vestrymen chosen by the congregation to manage the temporal affairs of their church
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vestry
1350–1400; Middle English vestrie, vestrye. See vest (v.), -ery
Vocabulary lists containing vestry
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the vestry, surrounded by racks of well-pressed white surplices and brightly coloured vestments, I met Ian and Paul, one of the couples he has blessed.
From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025
Doreen Golding, 83, the Pearly Queen of Bow Bells and the Old Kent Road, shouted to the group as she led the way to the church vestry.
From New York Times • Apr. 29, 2023
A week later, it was performed by Elizabeth John in the vestry of Tabor Chapel in Maesteg, Bridgend county.
From BBC • Nov. 24, 2022
He was a former vestry member and senior warden at Washington’s St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, where he was a parishioner for more than 50 years.
From Washington Post • Apr. 15, 2022
Julian and he were talking—in jocular, mocking, pedantic Latin—like a couple of priests tidying the vestry before a mass.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
