oratory
/ˈɔ.ɹəˌtɔ.ɹi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.94 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
4
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A private chapel or prayer room.
noun
A Roman Catholic chapel; a building for public or private worship that is not a parish church.
noun
A Catholic church belonging to the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri.
noun
The art of public speaking, especially in a formal, expressive, or forceful manner.
Uncountable
name
The Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, a society of priests and lay brothers founded in 1575.
noun
Alternative letter-case form of oratory: a church belonging to the Oratory.
Example Sentences
- "I will retire to my oratory, and pray to the blessed Virgin to inspire you with her holy counsels […]."
- "By public oratories are meant those attached to monasteries, convents, seminaries, etc., having a public entrance by which the faithful have access to them."
- "They had been given the old Oscott College premises as a temporary home, but were content there until Oratories could be established in the cities. St Philip Neri had specifically intended that the Oratory should be a city-based form of communal and missionary life."
- "Rising from humble farmhand to community organizer to a leader of the national Fatah party, Mr. Barghouti became known for his soaring oratory and common touch."
Etymology
From Middle English oratorie, from Anglo-Norman oratorie, Middle French oratoire, and their source, Late Latin ōrātōrium. Doublet of oratorio. Displaced native Old English bēdhūs.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: oratorie, oratoire, ōrātōrium, ōrātōria
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɔ.ɹəˌtɔ.ɹi/
- British English: /ˈɒɹət(ə)ɹi/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Places.
Inflected Forms
oratories (plural)
the Oratory (canonical)