Meanings
plural responsories
- A chant or anthem recited after a reading in a church service; a respond.
Synonyms: responsorium
- A book of liturgical responses; a responsorial.
- not comparableContaining or making answer; answering.
that Reponsory Letter from His Majesty
1640, I. H. [i.e., James Howell], ΔΕΝΔΡΟΛΟΓΊΑ [DENDROLOGIA]. Dodona’s Grove, or, The Vocall Forrest, London: […] T[homas] B[adger] for H. Mosley [i.e., Humphrey Moseley] […], →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA chant or anthem recited after a reading in a church service; a respond.
Origin
- Latinrespōnsus“answered”
- Late Latinrespōnsōrium
- Middle Englishresponsorie
- Englishresponsory
Inherited from Middle English responsorie, from Late Latin respōnsōrium, from Latin respōnsus (“answered”), from the verb respondeō (“to answer”). Compare respond.
More words from Middle English, Late Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish responsorio
- responsorioa chant or anthem recited after a reading in a church service — see also respond
German Responsorium
- Responsoriuma chant or anthem recited after a reading in a church service — see also respond
Italian responsorio
- responsorioa chant or anthem recited after a reading in a church service — see also respond
Spanish responsorio
- responsorioa chant or anthem recited after a reading in a church service — see also respond
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
responsory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/responsory
“responsory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/responsory. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “responsory,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/responsory.
Source: responsory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.