vigil

noun

vig·​il ˈvi-jəl 

1

: the act of keeping awake at times when sleep is customary

also : a period of wakefulness

2

: an event or a period of time when a person or group stays in a place and quietly waits, prays, etc., especially at night

a candlelight vigil

kept vigil at her bedside

3

a

: a watch formerly kept on the night before a religious feast with prayer or other devotions

b

: the day before a religious feast observed as a day of spiritual preparation

c

: evening or nocturnal devotions or prayers

—usually used in plural

Synonyms of vigil

• watch
• surveillance

Examples of vigil in a Sentence

kept vigil at their ailing son's bedside the entire time he was in the hospital

Recent Examples on the Web

Back in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the local churches held vigils calling for Carlos to be brought home. —Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026

There was not enough room in the church to hold the 100-plus who gathered for the Indianapolis vigil at the beginning of what's expected to be a weekend of nationwide protests over Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Minneapolis and elsewhere. —Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 31 Jan. 2026

Later that night, a vigil for Pretti was held in Corpus Christi, Texas. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026

The Temple University Hospital Nurses Association held a candlelight vigil to honor Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was shot and killed by federal agents last week in Minnesota. —Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vigile, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin vigilia watch on the eve of a feast, from Latin, wakefulness, watch, from vigil awake, watchful; akin to Latin vigēre to be vigorous, vegēre to enliven — more at wake

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Phrases Containing vigil

• keep vigil
• vigil light

Kids Definition

vigil

noun

vig·​il ˈvij-əl 

1

a

: the day before a religious feast

b

: prayers or religious services held in the evening or at night

—usually used in plural

2

: an act or period of staying awake at times when one normally would be sleeping

an all-night vigil spent awaiting her return

3

: an act or period of attentive watching : watch

kept vigil at the bedside of his ill son