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

Citrus Heights is now one of the first cities in the Greater Sacramento region to create a mandatory vacant business registry. —James Taylor, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026

Kelly wore her Cartier engagement ring during filming, the registry notes. —Jocelyn Noveck, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026

Dating back to 1988, the National Film Preservation Board selects 25 films each year to add into the Library of Congress as part of the National Film Registry, and this year, that registry of films has now grown to 925 entries across over a century of cinema. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026

And Denzel Washington starred in Glory (1989) and Philadelphia (1993), all now part of the registry's roundup of the country's most culturally significant films. —Neda Ulaby, NPR, 29 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