presbytery
/ˈpɹɛz.bɪ.tɛɹ.i/ noun
Forms presbyteries
- noun The home of a Roman Catholic parish priest.
- noun A section of a church reserved for the clergy, containing the altar.
- noun Presbyters collectively; the body of presbyters of a congregation.
- noun The district (jurisdiction) of those presbyters.
- noun A body of elders in the early Christian church.
Synonyms
rectory curatage parsonage vicarage presbyterium sanctuary chancel[Appendix:Glossary diocese parish
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A body of elders in the early Christian church.
- noun A judicatory consisting of all the ministers within a certain district, and one layman, who is a ruling elder, from each parish or church, commissioned to represent the church in conjunction with the pastor. This body has a general jurisdiction over the churches under its care, and next below the provincial synod in authority.
Etymology [L. presbyterium, Gr. Presbyter, and cf. Presbyterium.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “presbytery”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details