Thesaurus: consistory

Related headwords

Definitions

1. n. Primarily, a place of standing or staying together; hence, any solemn assembly or council.
2. n. The spiritual court of a diocesan bishop held before his chancellor or commissioner in his cathedral church or elsewhere.
3. n. An assembly of prelates; a session of the college of cardinals at Rome.
4. n. A church tribunal or governing body.
5. n. A civil court of justice.
6. a. Of the nature of, or pertaining to, a consistory.
7. n. a church tribunal or governing body
8. 1. Primarily, a place of standing or staying together; hence, any solemn assembly or council. To council summons all his mighty peers, Within thick clouds and dark tenfold involved, A gloomy consistory. Milton. 2. (Eng. Ch.) The spiritual court of a diocesan bishop held before his chancellor or commissioner in his cathedral church or elsewhere. Hook. 3. (R. C. Ch.) An assembly of prelates; a session of the college of cardinals at Rome. Pius was then hearing of causes in consistory. Bacon. 4. A church tribunal or governing body. Note: In some churches, as the Dutch Reformed in America, a consistory is composed of the minister and elders of an individual church, corresponding to a Presbyterian church session, and in others, as the Reformed church in France, it is composed of ministers and elders, corresponding to a presbytery. In some Lutheran countries it is a body of clerical and lay officers appointed by the sovereign to superintend ecclesiastical affairs. 5. A civil court of justice. [Obs.] Chaucer. Of the nature of, or pertaining to, a consistory. "To hold consistory session." Strype.
9. The spiritual court of a diocesan bishop held before hischancellor or commissioner in his cathedral church or elsewhere.Hook.
10. n. a church tribunal or governing body