rosary

noun

ro·​sa·​ry ˈrō-zə-rē 

ˈrōz-rē

plural rosaries

1

often Rosary : a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of meditation on usually five sacred mysteries during recitation of five decades of Hail Marys of which each begins with an Our Father and ends with a Gloria Patri

2

: a string of beads used in counting prayers especially of the Roman Catholic rosary

Examples of rosary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Save your rosary beads — and your sanity — for whenever Sweden comes on the TV. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026

The season also reinstated McQueen’s archival horn heel from spring 2003, originally part of a rosary thong sandal with wooden beads and a sculpted base, now reapplied to new leather and jacquard styles. —Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 27 Jan. 2026

Now, rosaries hang on the remains of Kane’s home. —Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2026

Members of the Venezuelan community in Philadelphia gathered Sunday for a prayer service at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Logan Square, where people filled the pews holding rosaries and Venezuelan flags. —Eva Andersen, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "rose garden, rosebush," borrowed from Medieval Latin rosārium "rose garden, rosebush, book of devotions," going back to Latin, "rose bed, rose garden," from rosa rose entry 2 + -ārium -ary entry 1

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rosary

• rosary pea

Kids Definition

rosary

noun

ro·​sa·​ry ˈrōz-(ə-)rē 

plural rosaries

1

often capitalized : a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of meditation on usually five sacred mysteries during recitation of five decades of Hail Marys of which each begins with an Our Father and ends with a Gloria Patri

2

: a string of beads used in counting prayers especially of the Roman Catholic rosary

Etymology

from Latin rosarium "rosary prayers, rosary beads," from earlier rosarium "rose garden," derived from rosa "rose"

Word Origin

Rosary is ultimately borrowed from Latin rosarium, a derivative of rosa, "rose." In classical Latin rosarium referred to a bed or garden of roses. In the Middle Ages rose gardens became particularly associated with Mary, and artists would give a rose-garden setting to the Annunciation, the announcement made to Mary by an angel that she would be the Messiah's mother. Rosarium could also refer to a rose garland or wreath for the head that Mary made or wore in various legends. When sequences of prayers to the Virgin became a popular devotion in the 1400s, it is not surprising that Latin rosarium was applied to them. Later the word was also applied to the strings of beads used in reciting the rosary prayers.

Medical Definition

rosary

noun

ro·​sa·​ry ˈrōz-(ə-)rē 

plural rosaries

: beading