presbytery
noun
pres·by·tery
ˈprez-bə-ˌter-ē 
ˈpres-,
-bə-trē
plural presbyteries
1
: the part of a church reserved for the officiating clergy
2
: a ruling body in presbyterian churches consisting of the ministers and representative elders from congregations within a district
3
: the jurisdiction of a presbytery
4
: the house of a Roman Catholic parish priest
Examples of presbytery in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Inside Brixworth Church The choir, or presbytery—the heart of the church—is separated from the nave by a large arch.
—
David Nikel, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Gretta wanted my grandparents to join her and a small group of other congregants in a formal complaint to the presbytery.
—Aryn Kyle, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
After the service, William and Kate headed to the cathedral’s presbytery, where the princess laid a bouquet of flowers in front of a portrait of the queen.
—Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023
In a blog post published Wednesday, Grant recounted how notifications about an active shooter at the school interrupted a presbytery planning meeting that included Chad Scruggs, Covenant Presbyterian Church pastor and father of one of the shooting victims.
—Joanna Slater, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023
Reports indicate the presbytery doesn’t have a formal security program for its churches and schools but that members have worked together to share best practices and improve safety.
—Savannah Tryens-Fernandes | Stryens-Fernandes@al.com, al, 31 Mar. 2023
The church linked to the school is a member of the presbytery, which includes congregations in middle Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky.
—Travis Loller, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023
On the road into the city from Melbourne, the state capital, the red brick Gothic-like presbytery of St. Alipius immediately stands out.
—Jacqueline Williams, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2018
After carefully filling an ancient presbytery near France’s Loire Valley with a personal library of no fewer than 35,000 volumes, he was compelled to pack them all up again in preparation for a move to a New York apartment.
—Ernest Hilbert, WSJ, 13 Apr. 2018
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David Nikel, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Gretta wanted my grandparents to join her and a small group of other congregants in a formal complaint to the presbytery.
—Aryn Kyle, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
After the service, William and Kate headed to the cathedral’s presbytery, where the princess laid a bouquet of flowers in front of a portrait of the queen.
—Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023
In a blog post published Wednesday, Grant recounted how notifications about an active shooter at the school interrupted a presbytery planning meeting that included Chad Scruggs, Covenant Presbyterian Church pastor and father of one of the shooting victims.
—Joanna Slater, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023
Reports indicate the presbytery doesn’t have a formal security program for its churches and schools but that members have worked together to share best practices and improve safety.
—Savannah Tryens-Fernandes | Stryens-Fernandes@al.com, al, 31 Mar. 2023
The church linked to the school is a member of the presbytery, which includes congregations in middle Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky.
—Travis Loller, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023
On the road into the city from Melbourne, the state capital, the red brick Gothic-like presbytery of St. Alipius immediately stands out.
—Jacqueline Williams, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2018
After carefully filling an ancient presbytery near France’s Loire Valley with a personal library of no fewer than 35,000 volumes, he was compelled to pack them all up again in preparation for a move to a New York apartment.
—Ernest Hilbert, WSJ, 13 Apr. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Presbytery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presbytery. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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