Meanings
plural presbyteries
- A section of a church reserved for the clergy, containing the altar.
Near-synonym: chancel (broadly synonymous)
Synonyms: presbyterium, sanctuary, chancel[Appendix:Glossary
- Presbyters collectively; the body of presbyters of a congregation.
Meronym: presbyter
- A body of elders in the early Christian church.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA section of a church reserved for the clergy, containing the altar.
Origin
- Ancient Greekπρεσβῠτέρῐον“group of presbyters”
- Late Latinpresbyterium“group of presbyters, part of church reserved for clergy”
- Middle Englishpresbetory
- Englishpresbytery
From Middle English presbetory, presbytory (“part of church reserved for clergy”), from Late Latin presbyterium (“group of presbyters, part of church reserved for clergy”), from Ancient Greek πρεσβῠτέρῐον (presbŭtérĭon, “group of presbyters”), from πρεσβῠ́τερος (presbŭ́teros, “elder, priest”) + -ῐον (-ĭon). By surface analysis, presbyter + -y. Doublet of presbyterium.
More words from Middle English, Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πρεσβυτέριον
- πρεσβυτέριον (presbutérion)a body of church elders
Catalan presbiteri
- presbiteria body of church elders
Indonesian pastoran
- pastorana body of church elders
Italian presbiterio
- presbiterioa body of church elders
Māori perehepetere
- perehepeterea body of church elders
Polish prezbiterium
- prezbiteriuma body of church elders
Portuguese presbitério
- presbitérioa body of church elders
Romanian prezbiteriu
- prezbiteriua body of church elders
Spanish presbiterio
- presbiterioa body of church elders
Cite this entry
presbytery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/presbytery
“presbytery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/presbytery. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “presbytery,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/presbytery.
Source: presbytery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.