presbytery

presbytery
/prez"bi ter'ee, pres"-/, n., pl. presbyteries.
1. a body of presbyters or elders.
2. (in Presbyterian churches) an ecclesiastical court consisting of all the ministers and one or two presbyters from each congregation in a district.
3. the churches under the jurisdiction of a presbytery.
4. the part of a church appropriated to the clergy.
5. Rom. Cath. Ch. a rectory.
[1375-1425; late ME presbetory, presbitory priests' bench, for LL presbyterium group of elders < Gk presbytérion. See PRESBYTER, -Y3]

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▪ cathedral architecture
      in Western architecture, that part of a cathedral or other large cruciform church that lies between the chancel, or choir, and the high altar, or sanctuary. As an element of a cruciform church (i.e., one laid out in the shape of a cross), the presbytery may be located geographically west of the sanctuary and east of the choir. This area, which is sometimes also called the presbyterium, can be occupied only by members of the clergy, those priests who participate in services within the sanctuary. The presbytery is often raised a few steps above or otherwise separated from the chancel, as in Winchester and Salisbury cathedrals in England, but it may also be combined with the chancel, as in the English cathedrals of Lincoln and York. The term is also used to describe the house of a priest.

▪ church government
      in church government, ruling body in Presbyterian churches that consists of the ministers and representative elders from congregations within a given district (see presbyterian).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Presbytery — • The part of the church reserved for the higher clergy Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Presbytery     Presbytery     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Presbytery — may refer to:*Presbytery (church polity), a governing body of ordained elders and ministers *Presbyterium, a body of ordained, active priests in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches *Presbytery (architecture), the area of a church building… …   Wikipedia

  • Presbytery — Pres by*ter*y, n.; pl. {Presbyteries}. [L. presbyterium, Gr. ?. See {Presbyter}, and cf. {Presbyterium}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A body of elders in the early Christian church. [1913 Webster] 2. (Presbyterian Ch.) A judicatory consisting of all the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • presbytery — ► NOUN (pl. presbyteries) 1) (treated as sing. or pl. ) a body of Church elders. 2) the house of a Roman Catholic parish priest. 3) chiefly Architecture the eastern part of a church chancel …   English terms dictionary

  • presbytery — [prez′bə ter΄ē, pres′bə ter΄ē] n. pl. presbyteries [ME presbetory < OFr presbiterie < LL(Ec) presbyterium, council of elders < Gr(Ec) presbyterion < Gr presbyteros, elder: see PRIEST] 1. Presbyterian Ch. a) a body of presbyters;… …   English World dictionary

  • presbytery — UK [ˈprezb(ə)terɪ] / US [ˈprezbəterɪ] noun [countable] Word forms presbytery : singular presbytery plural presbyteries 1) a council that controls the Presbyterian Church, or the churches that are controlled by this council 2) the house where a… …   English dictionary

  • presbytery — noun (plural teries) 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… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • presbytery — [[t]pre̱zbɪtri, AM teri[/t]] presbyteries N COUNT A presbytery is the house in which a Roman Catholic priest lives …   English dictionary

  • presbytery — pres•by•ter•y [[t]ˈprɛz bɪˌtɛr i, ˈprɛs [/t]] n. pl. ter•ies 1) rel a body of presbyters or elders 2) rel (in Presbyterian churches) an ecclesiastical assembly consisting of all the ministers and one or two presbyters from each congregation in a… …   From formal English to slang

  • presbytery — /ˈprɛzbətri / (say prezbuhtree), /ˈprɛspə / (say prespuh ) noun (plural presbyteries) 1. a body of presbyters or elders. 2. (in the Uniting Church of Australia and Presbyterian churches) a judicatory consisting of all the ministers (teaching… …  

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