rosary

noun

ro·​sa·​ry ˈrō-zə-rē 

ˈrōz-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

Examples of rosary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Isiah, who declined to provide his last name to The Times because of concerns about his immigration status, prayed the rosary as a substitute for two weeks before his faith brought him back to church. —Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025

Stock image shows a priest in the confessional recites the rosary awaiting penitent. —Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

But the Globe’s gushing coverage of the rosary ceremony all but declared Healey a secular saint. —Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 19 June 2025

Some carried rosaries in their hands, while others chanted slogans against President Gustavo Petro. —Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "rose garden, rosebush," borrowed from Medieval Latin rosārium "rose garden, rosebush, book of devotions," going back to Latin, "rose bed, rose garden," from rosa rose entry 2 + -ārium -ary entry 1

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rosary

• rosary pea

Kids 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

rosary

noun

ro·​sa·​ry ˈrōz-(ə-)rē 

plural rosaries

: beading