Gregorian chant

noun

A style of unaccompanied monophonic singing in the Catholic Church.

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Meanings

nounGregorian chant (countable and uncountable, plural Gregorian chants)

plural Gregorian chants

  1. countableuncountableentertainmentA style of unaccompanied monophonic singing in the Catholic Church.

Origin

Named after Pope Gregory I (540–604), and certainly dating back to that time in some form, but the exact origin is a matter of ongoing research.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan cant gregorià
  • cant gregoriàunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Chinese Mandarin 格列高利聖詠 /格列高利圣咏, 額我略聖歌 /额我略圣歌
  • 格列高利聖詠 /格列高利圣咏 (Géliègāolì shèngyǒng)unaccompanied monotonic singing style
  • 額我略聖歌 /额我略圣歌 (éwǒlüèshènggē)unaccompanied monotonic singing style
Finnish gregoriaaninen kirkkolaulu
  • gregoriaaninen kirkkolauluunaccompanied monotonic singing style
French chant grégorien
  • chant grégorienunaccompanied monotonic singing style
German gregorianischer Gesang, gregorianischer Choral
  • gregorianischer Gesangunaccompanied monotonic singing style
  • gregorianischer Choralunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Greek γρηγοριανό μέλος
  • γρηγοριανό μέλος (grigorianó mélos)unaccompanied monotonic singing style
Hungarian gregorián ének
  • gregorián énekunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Icelandic gregorssöngur
  • gregorssöngurunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Indonesian kidung Gregorian
  • kidung Gregorianunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Irish cantaireacht Ghréagórach
  • cantaireacht Ghréagórachunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Italian canto gregoriano
  • canto gregorianounaccompanied monotonic singing style
Korean 그레고리오 성가
  • 그레고리오 성가 (geuregorio seongga)unaccompanied monotonic singing style
Latin Cantus Gregorianus, Canthus Gregorianus
  • Cantus Gregorianusunaccompanied monotonic singing style
  • Canthus Gregorianusunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Polish chorał gregoriański
  • chorał gregoriańskiunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Portuguese canto gregoriano
  • canto gregorianounaccompanied monotonic singing style
Romanian cânt gregorian
  • cânt gregorianunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Russian григориа́нское пе́ние, григориа́нский хора́л
  • григориа́нское пе́ние (grigoriánskoje pénije)unaccompanied monotonic singing style
  • григориа́нский хора́л (grigoriánskij xorál)unaccompanied monotonic singing style
Spanish canto gregoriano
  • canto gregorianounaccompanied monotonic singing style
Swedish gregoriansk sång
  • gregoriansk sångunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Turkish Gregoryen İlahi
  • Gregoryen İlahiunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Welsh salm-dôn Gregoraidd
  • salm-dôn Gregoraiddunaccompanied monotonic singing style
Cite this entry
APA

Gregorian chant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gregorian%20chant

MLA

“Gregorian chant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gregorian%20chant. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gregorian chant,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gregorian%20chant.

Source: Gregorian chant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.