Standard Lemma guide

vestry

noun · 5 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.

  • /ˈvɛstɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A room in a church where the clergy put on their vestments and where these are stored; also used for meetings and classes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The choirboys change into their cassocks in the vestry.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vestiary, sacristy

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An assembly of persons (ad hoc or recurrent) who manage parochial affairs; so called because usually held in a vestry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A committee of parishioners elected to administer the temporal affairs of a parish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: parochial church council, PCC, parish council (ecclesiastical sense, uncommon)
  • The vestry meets on the first Tuesday of every month.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: parochial church council, PCC, parish council

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept or meetings are held

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sacristy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: room

5

noun

Meaning 5

in the Protestant Episcopal Church: a committee elected by the congregation to work with the churchwardens in managing the temporal affairs of the church

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: committee, commission

History

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman vesterie, from Old French vestiaire (“room for vestments, dressing room”), from Latin vestiarium (“wardrobe”). Doublet of vestiary.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ри́зница (ríznica) — room in a church
  • Bulgarian: сакристия (sakristija) — room in a church
  • Old Czech: obláčěnicě — room in a church
  • Danish: sakristi — room in a church
  • Dutch: sacristie — room in a church
  • Finnish: sakaristo — room in a church
  • French: sacristie — room in a church
  • Georgian: საცავი (sacavi) — room in a church
  • Georgian: სალარო — room in a church
  • German: Sakristei — room in a church
  • Greek: αποδυτήριο (apodytírio) — room in a church
  • Latin: sacristia — room in a church
  • Macedonian: ри́зница (ríznica) — room in a church
  • Macedonian: сакри́стија (sakrístija) — room in a church
  • Macedonian: ѓа́коник (ǵákonik) — room in a church
  • Persian: رختکن — room in a church
  • Polish: zakrystia — room in a church
  • Russian: ри́зница (ríznica) — room in a church
  • Russian: сакристия (sakristija) — room in a church
  • Scottish Gaelic: seòmar-culaidh — room in a church
  • Swedish: sakristia — room in a church
  • Bulgarian: черковно настоятелство (čerkovno nastojatelstvo) — committee of parishioners
  • Finnish: kirkkoneuvosto — committee of parishioners
  • Georgian: მრევლის კრება (mrevlis ḳreba) — committee of parishioners
  • Macedonian: паро́хиска у́права (paróhiska úprava) — committee of parishioners
  • Māori: wēteri — committee of parishioners
  • Polish: rada parafialna — committee of parishioners
  • Russian: приходское управле́ние (prixodskoje upravlénije) — committee of parishioners
Real reading context

vestry in complete knowledge articles