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

The San Francisco General Hospital community came together Sunday night to hold a vigil for a coworker killed on the job. —Amanda Hari, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025

No two observers prepare for a meteor vigil the same way. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Dec. 2025

The shooting brought grief across West Virginia as communities held vigils in honor of Beckstrom and Wolfe in the days after the attack. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 7 Dec. 2025

What To Know Morrissey asked West Virginians and others to continue praying for Wolfe, and noted that a vigil was planned Friday night at Wolfe’s alma mater, Musselman High School in Berkeley County. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

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