Meanings
plural rectories
- Any of certain residences for clergy members.
- The residence of Roman Catholic priest(s) associated with a parish church.
Synonyms: presbytery
- The residence of an Anglican rector.
1 more example
It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe residence of Roman Catholic priest(s) associated with a parish church.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan official residence provided by a church for its parson or vicar or rector
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latinrectoria
- Middle Frenchrectorie
- Englishrectory
From Middle French rectorie, from Medieval Latin rectoria. See rector.
More words from Middle French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans pastorie
- pastorieresidence of Roman Catholic priest
Catalan rectoria, abadia
- rectoriaresidence of Roman Catholic priest
- abadiaresidence of Roman Catholic priest
Dutch pastorie, pastorij
- pastorieresidence of Roman Catholic priest
- pastorijresidence of Roman Catholic priest
Finnish pappila
- pappilaresidence of Roman Catholic priest
French presbytère, cure
- presbytèreresidence of Roman Catholic priest
- cureresidence of Roman Catholic priest
German Pfarrhaus
- Pfarrhausresidence of Roman Catholic priest
Hungarian plébánia, paplak
- plébániaresidence of Roman Catholic priest
- paplakresidence of Roman Catholic priest
Polish plebania, probostwo
- plebaniaresidence of Roman Catholic priest
- probostworesidence of Roman Catholic priest
Swedish prästgård
- prästgårdresidence of Roman Catholic priest
Vietnamese nhà xứ
- nhà xứresidence of Roman Catholic priest
Cite this entry
rectory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rectory
“rectory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rectory. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rectory,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rectory.
Source: rectory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.