registry

noun

reg·​is·​try ˈre-jə-strē 

plural registries

1

: registration, enrollment

2

: the nationality of a ship according to its entry in a register : flag

3

: a place of registration

4

a

: an official record book

b

: an entry in a registry

Synonyms of registry

• list
• listing

Examples of registry in a Sentence

the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles

got a copy of the couple's bridal registry from the store's computer and scanned it for items we could afford

Recent Examples on the Web

That same afternoon, the lawyers allege, a call was made to the state’s central registry, triggering a follow-up by the city’s child welfare agency, the Administration for Children’s Services. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026

The registry had over 135,000 patients listed by their physicians at the end of last year, 32% more than the previous year, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which administers the program. —Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026

They are usually registered under flags of convenience (in states such as Gabon, Cameroon, or the Cook Islands, which maintain open ship registries with minimal oversight) or under false flags. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 18 Jan. 2026

Even as wedding registries shift and honeymoon funds replace fine china, antique case pieces and modern iterations of china cabinets are on the rise again—dovetailing with modern maximalism’s emphasis on playing up your home’s personality and the design world’s recent sweet spot for nostalgia. —Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Phrases Containing registry

• gift registry
• registry office

Kids Definition

registry

noun

reg·​is·​try ˈrej-ə-strē 

plural registries

1

: registration sense 3

2

: a place of registration

3

a

: a book in which things are recorded exactly and legally

b

: something recorded in a registry

Medical Definition

registry

noun

reg·​is·​try ˈrej-ə-strē 

plural registries

1

: a place where data, records, or laboratory samples are kept and usually are made available for research or comparative study

a cancer registry

2

: an establishment at which nurses available for employment are listed and through which they are hired

Legal Definition

registry

noun

reg·​is·​try ˈre-jə-strē 

plural registries

1

: registration

an instrument filed for registry in the conveyance records

—Louisiana Civil Code

2

: the nationality of a ship according to its entry in a register

3

: a place of registration : a place where official records and documents are kept

the registry of motor vehicles

registry of deeds