Rectory

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛktəɹi/

Definitions

1. A residence provided by a church for its rector or parish priest
2. The official home where a member of the clergy lives as part of their church duties
3. A house owned by a church that serves as the dwelling place for a minister

Etymology: A rectory is, at heart, a building tied to a job: the rector's post. The word passed into English from Middle French "rectorie," which itself came from Medieval Latin "rectoria," a derivative of "rector," meaning one who rules or governs. Latin "rector" came from the verb "regere," to rule, so the core idea of guidance and direction runs all the way through the family. The house took its name from the office rather than the other way round. In the church, a rector was the clergyman who held the full income and responsibilities of a parish, and the residence attached to that post came to be called by the same term. The word thus names a dwelling by pointing to the authority of the person living in it.

Synonyms: vicarage, parsonage