vigil

American  

[vij-uhl] / ˈvɪdʒ əl /

noun

• vigils
  plural

1. wakefulness or watchfulness maintained for any reason during the normal hours for sleeping.

   They passed many hours in vigil.

2. a watch or a period of watchful attention maintained at night or at other times.

   The nurse kept her vigil at the bedside of the dying man.

3. a quiet demonstration to support a cause, protest an injustice, honor the dead, etc..

   A candlelight vigil in remembrance of the two fallen officers will be held tonight at sundown.

4. Ecclesiastical.

   1. Sometimes vigils a nocturnal devotional exercise or service, especially on the eve before a church festival.

      The Easter vigil reflects on the holy sacraments as well as the resurrection and ascension of Christ.

   2. the eve, or day and night, before a church festival, especially an eve that is a fast.

5. a period of wakefulness from inability to sleep.

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vigil British  

/ ˈvɪdʒɪl /

noun

1. a purposeful watch maintained, esp at night, to guard, observe, pray, etc

2. the period of such a watch

3. RC Church Church of England the eve of certain major festivals, formerly observed as a night spent in prayer: often marked by fasting and abstinence and a special Mass and divine office

4. a period of sleeplessness; insomnia

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• vigils
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of vigil

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English vigil(i)e, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin vigilia “eve of a holy day,” special use of Latin vigilia “watchfulness,” equivalent to vigil “sentry” + -ia -y ³

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Explanation

A vigil is when you stay alert to guard something, as when you keep vigil over your hen house when the foxes are out. A vigil can also be solemn, as when a candlelight vigil is held for victims of a tragedy. Vigil comes from the Latin word for "awake," and all its meanings include the idea of watchfulness. If you're attending a vigil or keeping vigil, you shouldn't expect to take a nap. The vigil is an apt kind of demonstration for peace movements, as it's calm, non-violent, and solemn, with participants standing quietly — sometimes holding candles.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vigil vigils

During the October 7 vigil, an Ann Arbor Chabad House Rabbi Alter Goldstein said he hoped the winner would "have tolerance."

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

They marched to Union Square after learning Mamdani would be attending the vigil.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

The merry-go-round also became a gathering spot for a candlelight vigil when the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia died in 1995.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

On Wednesday, the Democratic socialist mayor stood stoically at a vigil marking the anniversary of the Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

My feet nudge aside the vigil remnants, giving me more room to work.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

Part of a generation that came of age after Hong Kong's 1997 return to Chinese rule, she attended the vigils from childhood and joined the Alliance in 2010 as a volunteer.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Many Serb nationalists see him as a hero and protector, particularly in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska, where his death sparked vigils.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

The defendants all had leadership roles in the organization that ran the vigils, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Movements of China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Catholic sisters are playing a key role among clergy and other religious leaders who have been organizing demonstrations and vigils at ICE field offices and processing centers in places like Chicago, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

“When the vigils flopped. Well, I let all my energy for them slip away too. I shouldn't have.”

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

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Related Words

• observance
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