chapel

noun

chap·​el ˈcha-pəl 

1

: a subordinate or private place of worship: such as

a

: a place of worship serving a residence or institution

b

: a small house of worship usually associated with a main church

c

: a room or recess in a church for meditation and prayer or small religious services

2

: a place of worship used by a Christian group other than an established church

a nonconformist chapel

3

: a choir of singers belonging to a chapel

4

: a chapel service or assembly at a school or college

5

: an association of the employees in a printing office

6

a

: funeral home

b

: a room for funeral services in a funeral home

Did you know?

Chapel is ultimately derived from the Late Latin word cappa, meaning "cloak." How did we get from a garment to a building? The answer to this question has to do with a shrine created to hold the sacred cloak of St. Martin of Tours. In Medieval Latin, this shrine was called cappella (from a diminutive of cappa, meaning "short cloak or cape") in reference to the relic it contained. Later, the meaning of cappella broadened to include any building that housed a sacred relic, and eventually to a place of worship. Anglo-French picked up the term as chapele, which in turn passed into English as chapel in the 13th century. In case you are wondering, the term a cappella, meaning "without instrumental accompaniment," entered English from Italian, where it literally means "in chapel style."

Examples of chapel in a Sentence

a wedding chapel in Las Vegas

Church services will be held in the chapel this week.

Recent Examples on the Web

For those with a flair for the dramatic, the towering gothic chapel at Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp awaits. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025

Behind bars, Combs has reportedly acclimated to prison life, securing a job in the chapel and even being spotted mingling with other inmates, including former NBA player Sebastian Telfair. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 25 Nov. 2025

The celebrity gossip outlet reports Combs was filmed at his job in the chapel’s library, organizing and record keeping as well as handing out books to fellow inmates. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Nov. 2025

Empty and silent as a chapel, the locker room still felt like a shrine to potential, every cinderblock of the place soaked with the hopes and dreams of millions of fans. —Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French chapele, from Medieval Latin cappella, from diminutive of Late Latin cappa cloak; from the cloak of St. Martin of Tours preserved as a sacred relic in a chapel built for that purpose

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chapel

• chapel of ease
• lady chapel

Rhymes for chapel

• appal
• apple
• dapple
• grapple
• pineapple

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

chapel

noun

chap·​el ˈchap-əl 

1

: a building or place for prayer or special religious services

2

: a religious service or assembly at a school or college

Etymology

Middle English chapel "chapel," from early French chapele (same meaning), from Latin cappella "chapel," literally, "little cloak," from cappa "cloak, head covering"; so called from the structure built to house a revered cloak of Saint Martin of Tours — related to cape entry 2, chaperone