Definition

1. Noun:
   • A building serving as the residence or meeting hall for a chapter of a fraternity or sorority: A chapterhouse is a building owned or used by a local branch (chapter) of a collegiate fraternal organization.
   • A building attached to a monastery or cathedral where the chapter (the governing body of canons or monks) meets: In a religious context, a chapterhouse is a room or building where the members of a religious community gather for meetings, readings, and administrative business.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The fraternity's chapterhouse can accommodate over thirty members.
  • The medieval cathedral's chapterhouse is renowned for its intricate stone carvings.
  • All official meetings of the monastic order are held in the chapterhouse.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Legal Context: In historical contexts, "chapterhouse" can refer specifically to the place where legal or administrative documents of a religious house were stored and business was transacted.
  • The abbey's records were carefully preserved in the chapterhouse for centuries.

Variants and Related Words

• Chapter (n): The local branch of a fraternity, sorority, or other society; or the governing body of a religious community.
  • He is a member of the Alpha chapter of his fraternity.
• Fraternity house / Sorority house (n): Terms often used synonymously with "chapterhouse" in the context of collegiate Greek-letter organizations.

Synonyms

• Meeting house: A building used for gatherings (general).
• Lodge: A local branch or meeting place of a fraternal society.
• Assembly room: A room for people to gather, especially in a religious or institutional setting.

Related Phrases

• To hold chapter: To conduct a formal meeting of the members. This activity traditionally takes place in a chapterhouse.
  • The monks will hold chapter in the chapterhouse after morning prayers.

Noun

1. a house used as a residence by a chapter of a fraternity
2. a building attached to a monastery or cathedral; used as a meeting place for the chapter