chapel
chapel — noun
- chapelsingular
- chapelsplural
1. a small room or separate building inside a larger institution — such as a school
a small room or separate building inside a larger institution — such as a school, hospital, prison, university, or private house — that is set aside for Christian worship, prayer, or quiet contemplation, and often contains a dedicated table for communion.
The hospital chapel stays open at night for those who need a quiet place.
collocation: hospital chapel + stays open
Priya's wedding ceremony took place in the private chapel of her family's estate.
Leila lit a candle in the school chapel the night before her final exams.
collocation: school chapel + light a candle
The old college chapel has a stained-glass window donated in 1925.
Rohan found the prison chapel to be the only place with any peace.
collocation: prison chapel + find peace
- hospital chapel
- school chapel
- college chapel
- private chapel
- prison chapel
- wedding chapel
- university chapel
- small chapel
- historic chapel
- stone chapel
- chapel roof
- chapel bell
- church
a larger, freestanding building for regular public worship; chapel is typically smaller or part of a larger complex
- oratory
a private chapel for individual prayer, often smaller than a standard chapel; more formal term
- sanctuary
the most sacred part of a church or temple; not a synonym for the whole building
Grammar Patterns
chapel + noun (as modifier): chapel roof / chapel bell / chapel service
Usage Note
Frequently used as a modifier in compound nouns such as hospital chapel, school chapel, college chapel, prison chapel, and wedding chapel. Unlike church, chapel often implies a smaller or subordinate place of worship.
Common Mistakes
2. a place of Christian worship that belongs to a Protestant denomination independe
a place of Christian worship that belongs to a Protestant denomination independent of both the established Anglican Church and the Catholic hierarchy — typically Methodist, Baptist, or Presbyterian congregations, especially in the United Kingdom.
The stone chapel on the hill has served local Methodists for a century.
variety note: 'chapel' for Nonconformist churches, chiefly British
Kofi's grandfather was a deacon at the Welsh chapel where his parents first met.
Small Baptist chapels dot the countryside throughout rural Wales and northern England.
collocation: Baptist chapel / [region] countryside
Tomás visited the village chapel where his grandmother had been baptised seventy years earlier.
That red-brick chapel on Station Road was built by the local Congregationalist community in 1889.
collocation: built by the [denomination] community
- Methodist chapel
- Baptist chapel
- Welsh chapel
- Nonconformist chapel
- village chapel
- stone chapel
- chapel congregation
- chapel deacon
- chapel community
- meeting house
a place of worship used by Quakers or some Nonconformist groups; similar non-established function
- church
the preferred term for Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox buildings; chapel is deliberately used by Nonconformist denominations
Grammar Patterns
the + chapel: the village chapel / the local chapel
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers specifically to a freestanding building that functions as the main place of worship for a Nonconformist congregation, not a room within a larger institution. Common in Wales, Scotland, and parts of northern England. The term chapel rather than church is a marker of denominational identity.
Common Mistakes
3. a short religious service or formal gathering held in a chapel, especially as a
a short religious service or formal gathering held in a chapel, especially as a daily or weekly requirement for students at a school, college, or university that has a religious foundation.
Attendance at morning chapel is required for all boarding students at the academy.
pattern: attendance at + chapel + required
Diego gave a reading during Friday's chapel service about the importance of kindness.
Yara's parents visited the college to attend the annual parents' weekend chapel.
collocation: parents' weekend chapel / attend chapel
After evening chapel, Hana walked back to her dormitory with a small group of friends.
pattern: after + chapel (uncountable, no article)
Theo was asked to play the piano for next week's Wednesday chapel assembly.
- morning chapel
- afternoon chapel
- evening chapel
- compulsory chapel
- mandatory chapel
- chapel attendance
- chapel service
- chapel assembly
- skip chapel
- go to chapel
- have chapel
- assembly
a formal gathering of students, not necessarily religious; broader in scope
- service
a religious ceremony; more generic than chapel
- prayer meeting
a smaller, less formal gathering for prayer, usually not part of a school schedule
Grammar Patterns
attend + chapel
go to + chapel
morning / afternoon / evening + chapel
Usage Note
In this sense chapel often behaves like an uncountable noun — phrases such as 'go to chapel' or 'after chapel' do not need an article. Compare with sense 1, where chapel is always a countable location (a chapel / the chapel).
Common Mistakes
Common collocations
Nouns
- chapel service
- chapel roof
- chapel bell
- chapel choir
- chapel garden
- chapel attendance
Phrases
- go to chapel
- attend chapel
- hold a service in the chapel
- skip chapel
- have morning chapel
- build a chapel
- serve as a chapel
- convert a chapel
- restore the chapel
Prepositions
- in a/the chapel
- at chapel
- to chapel
- from chapel