presbytery
noun
pres·by·tery ˈprez-bə-ˌter-ē 
ˈpres-,
-bə-trē
plural presbyteries
1
: the part of a church reserved for the officiating clergy
2
: a ruling body in presbyterian churches consisting of the ministers and representative elders from congregations within a district
3
: the jurisdiction of a presbytery
4
: the house of a Roman Catholic parish priest
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web On the road into the city from Melbourne, the state capital, the red brick Gothic-like presbytery of St. Alipius immediately stands out. 
Jacqueline Williams, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2018 After carefully filling an ancient presbytery near France’s Loire Valley with a personal library of no fewer than 35,000 volumes, he was compelled to pack them all up again in preparation for a move to a New York apartment. Ernest Hilbert, WSJ, 13 Apr. 2018 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 10 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 10 Oct. 2017 See More
Jacqueline Williams, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2018 After carefully filling an ancient presbytery near France’s Loire Valley with a personal library of no fewer than 35,000 volumes, he was compelled to pack them all up again in preparation for a move to a New York apartment. Ernest Hilbert, WSJ, 13 Apr. 2018 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 10 Oct. 2017 The local presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA asked its leaders last year to embark on a period of self-assessment. Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 10 Oct. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English & Late Latin; Middle English presbytory part of church reserved for clergy, from Late Latin presbyterium group of presbyters, part of church reserved for clergy, from Greek presbyterion group of presbyters, from presbyteros elder, priest
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
presbytery
noun
as in episcopate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- episcopate
- diaconate
- clergy
- hierarchy
- church
- ministry
- spirituality
- priesthood
- first estate
- spiritualty
- cloth
- clerkship
- monkhood
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- laity