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con·sis·to·ry | \ kən-ˈsi-st(ə-)rē 
\
\ plural consistories
Definition of consistory
1 : a solemn assembly : council
2 : a church tribunal or governing body: such as
a : a solemn meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals convoked and presided over by the pope
b : a church session in some Reformed churches
3 : the organization that confers the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry usually from the 19th to the 32nd inclusive also : a meeting of such an organization
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Other Words from consistory
consistorial \ ˌkän-si-ˈstȯr-ē-əl \ adjective
\ adjectiveExamples of consistory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web With Saturday’s consistory, Francis will have named 52% of the voting-age cardinals.
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Nicole Winfield, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Pope urges compassion in elevating 13 likeminded cardinals," 6 Oct. 2019 With Saturday’s consistory, Francis will have named 52 percent of the voting-age cardinals.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Pope urges compassion in elevating 13 like-minded cardinals - The Boston Globe," 6 Oct. 2019 Martin was in Rome for the plenary meeting of the Vatican’s communications department, as well as for the consistory Saturday to name 13 new cardinals.
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Nicole Winfield, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Pope meets with Jesuit targeted by right for gay outreach," 30 Sep. 2019 The consistory comes at a fraught time in Francis’ six-year papacy.
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Nicole Winfield, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Pope urges compassion in elevating 13 likeminded cardinals," 6 Oct. 2019 The consistory comes at a fraught time in Francis’ six-year papacy.
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Washington Post, "Pope urges compassion in elevating 13 likeminded cardinals," 6 Oct. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'consistory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for consistory
The first known use of consistory was in the 14th century
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