noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈkɒɹɪstə(ɹ)/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˈkɔɹɪstɚ/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
obsolete:/ˈkwɪɹɪstəɹ/
dialectal, obsolete:/ˈkwɒɹɪstəɹ/
obsolete:/ˈkwæɹɪstəɹ/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A singer in a choir; especially a child in a church or cathedral choir.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
None of the new choristers can sing in tune but they will learn soon enough.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A director or leader of a choral group.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Examples
Jane was the chorister of her congregation's choir, and that occupied much of her time on the weekends.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a singer in a choir
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Derived from late Middle English queristre, from an Anglo-Norman variant of Old French cueriste, from cuer (see Middle French cuer). Equivalent to choir + -ster.
Across languages
Translations
33 source translations are retained for this English entry.
