Definition

1. Noun:
   • The position or office of a dean: A deanery is the official role, duties, or jurisdiction associated with a dean, who is a senior administrative or ecclesiastical officer.
   • The official residence of a dean: A deanery is also the house provided for a dean to live in, typically associated with a cathedral or a college.
   • The district or jurisdiction under a dean's supervision: In some ecclesiastical contexts, a deanery can refer to a subdivision of an archdeaconry, consisting of a group of parishes.

Usage Examples

• Referring to the position or office:
  • After twenty years of service, he was finally appointed to the deanery.
  • The responsibilities of the deanery include overseeing faculty affairs and student welfare.
• Referring to the residence:
  • The old deanery, located next to the cathedral, is a beautiful historic building.
  • They held the reception in the garden of the deanery.
• Referring to the district:
  • The parish is part of the rural deanery of Westshire.
  • A meeting was called for all clergy within the deanery.

Advanced Usage

• "to hold a deanery": To occupy the position of a dean.
  • She was the first woman to hold a deanery at the university.
• "rural deanery": A specific term for an ecclesiastical district in the Church of England, comprising a number of parishes.
  • The vicar's duties extended across the entire rural deanery.

Variants and Related Words

• Dean (n): The person who holds the office or lives in the deanery; a senior official in a university, cathedral, or other institution.
  • The dean addressed the new students.
• Deanship (n): Synonym for the office or term of office of a dean.
  • His deanship was marked by significant reforms.

Synonyms

• Deanship: The office or term of a dean.
• Headship: A position of leadership or authority (more general).
• Presbytery: The house of a priest or a body of priests (different ecclesiastical context).

Related Phrases

(Note: "Deanery" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verbs. Related phrases involve the word "dean".) - To be installed in a deanery: To be formally placed into the office or residence of a dean. - The ceremony to install him in the deanery will be held next week.

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms specifically using the word "deanery.")

Noun

1. the position or office of a dean
2. the official residence of a dean