plural rosaries
1
often capitalized
: a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of meditation on usually five sacred mysteries during recitation of five decades of Hail Marys of which each begins with an Our Father and ends with a Gloria Patri
2
: a string of beads used in counting prayers especially of the Roman Catholic rosary
Examples of rosary in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived and said the rosary over the body, accompanied by the papal household staff, Alfieri told Corriere.
—
Colleen Barry, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Anderson approached Cartier to create Liesl’s bespoke rosary after stumbling upon one of the house’s cross pendants from approximately 1880.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 May 2025
On Sunday evening, a small group held a vigil at the pier, laying bouquets on the ground, lighting votive candles and hanging a rosary and a small image of a Virgin Mary on a fence.
—Andrew Keh, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Pilgrims, clergy, and everyday believers stood shoulder to shoulder, many clutching rosaries and prayer cards, their faces marked by grief and reverence.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rosary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Colleen Barry, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Anderson approached Cartier to create Liesl’s bespoke rosary after stumbling upon one of the house’s cross pendants from approximately 1880.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 May 2025
On Sunday evening, a small group held a vigil at the pier, laying bouquets on the ground, lighting votive candles and hanging a rosary and a small image of a Virgin Mary on a fence.
—Andrew Keh, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Pilgrims, clergy, and everyday believers stood shoulder to shoulder, many clutching rosaries and prayer cards, their faces marked by grief and reverence.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rosary
Cite this Entry
“Rosary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rosary. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rosary
noun
ro·sa·ry
ˈrōz-(ə-)rē 
plural rosaries
1
often capitalized
: a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of meditation on usually five sacred mysteries during recitation of five decades of Hail Marys of which each begins with an Our Father and ends with a Gloria Patri
2
: a string of beads used in counting prayers especially of the Roman Catholic rosary
Etymology
from Latin rosarium "rosary prayers, rosary beads," from earlier rosarium "rose garden," derived from rosa "rose"
Word Origin
Rosary is ultimately borrowed from Latin rosarium, a derivative of rosa, "rose." In classical Latin rosarium referred to a bed or garden of roses. In the Middle Ages rose gardens became particularly associated with Mary, and artists would give a rose-garden setting to the Annunciation, the announcement made to Mary by an angel that she would be the Messiah's mother. Rosarium could also refer to a rose garland or wreath for the head that Mary made or wore in various legends. When sequences of prayers to the Virgin became a popular devotion in the 1400s, it is not surprising that Latin rosarium was applied to them. Later the word was also applied to the strings of beads used in reciting the rosary prayers.
Medical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share