CHANCERY Definition & Meaning

chancery

[ chan-suh-ree ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural chanceries.

the office or department of a chancellor; chancellery.
an office of public records, especially those of the Lord Chancellor in England.
(in England) the Lord Chancellor's court, now a division of the High Court of Justice.
Law.
1. Also called court of chancery. a court having jurisdiction in equity; court of equity.
2. equity ( defs 4a, 4b ).
the administrative office of a diocese.
Roman Catholic Church. a department of the Curia Romana now having the responsibility for issuing bulls to establish new dioceses, benefices, etc.

chancery

/ ˈ��ʃɑː�Բ�ə��ɪ /

noun

Also calledChancery Division (in England) the Lord Chancellor's court, now a division of the High Court of Justice
Also calledcourt of chancery (in the US) a court of equity
the political section or offices of an embassy or legation
another name for chancellery
a court of public records; archives
Christianity a diocesan office under the supervision of a bishop's chancellor, having custody of archives, issuing official enactments, etc
in chancery
1. law (of a suit) pending in a court of equity
2. wrestling boxing (of a competitor's head) locked under an opponent's arm
3. in an awkward or helpless situation

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of chancery¹

1325–75; Middle English chancerie, variant of chancelrie, syncopated variant of chancellerie chancellery

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of chancery¹

C14: shortened from chancellery

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Idioms and Phrases

in chancery,
1. Law. in litigation in a court of chancery.
2. Wrestling, Boxing. (of a contestant's head) held under an opponent's arm.
3. in a helpless or embarrassing position.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The finished roll, which travelled in a big covering of unhistoric looking bubble wrap, was carefully signed by the clerk of the crown in chancery, Antonia Romeo.

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The chancery judge, Martin, wrote in her ruling that Mississippi’s public education system has been “chronically underfunded.”

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Associated costs, including the design and construction of the new chancery and furnishing it, will bring the total to $688.8 million, according to a notice sent to Congress.

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In the declaration filed Wednesday in a Nashville chancery court, Hall also lamented the deterioration of his relationship with and trust in his musical partner of more than a half-century.

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In the Democrats’ lawsuit, a chancery judge ordered all Hinds County polling places to remain open one extra hour, until 8 p.m.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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