vicarage

IPA/ˈvɪkərɪdʒ/
IPA/ˈvɪkərɪdʒ/

vicarage — noun

  • vicaragesingular
  • vicaragesplural

1. a house that a church gives to its vicar — a Christian priest who leads a local

1.nounB2
Definition

a house that a church gives to its vicar — a Christian priest who leads a local church — to live in with his or her family.

Example

The old stone vicarage stood next to the church, surrounded by tall oak trees.

collocation: stand next to [the church]

After Sunday service, the vicar invited the choir to the vicarage for tea and biscuits.

Common collocations
  • old vicarage
  • village vicarage
  • vicarage garden
  • vicarage gate
  • live at the vicarage
  • move into the vicarage
  • vicarage kitchen
Synonyms
  • rectory

    the house of a rector rather than a vicar — in the Church of England, a rector historically received the tithes directly, while a vicar received a salary

  • parsonage

    a more general term for any parish priest's house, used across several Christian denominations

  • manse

    used mainly in Scottish Presbyterian and some Nonconformist churches for the minister's house

Grammar Patterns

the + vicarage

a + vicarage

vicarage + noun (as modifier)

Common Mistakes

The vicarage welcomed us at the door.
The vicar welcomed us at the door of the vicarage.
a vicarage is a building, not a person; use 'vicar' for the person.

2. the official position of a vicar in the Church of England, including the house a

2.nounC1
Definition

the official position of a vicar in the Church of England, including the house and the regular income that come with the role.

Example

The bishop offered Christopher a small vicarage in the countryside with a comfortable house.

collocation: offer [someone] a vicarage

After twenty years, Yael was given a vicarage that came with a generous income.

collocation: be given a vicarage

Common collocations
  • be appointed to a vicarage
  • hold a vicarage
  • vicarage of [church name]
  • grant a vicarage
  • resign a vicarage
Synonyms
  • benefice

    the broader church-law term for a paid clergy position with attached property; more technical and less common than 'vicarage'

  • living

    an older term for the same concept, still found in historical church documents; used almost exclusively in British English

Grammar Patterns

a + vicarage

offer / give + [someone] + a vicarage

Usage Note

This sense refers to the position and income as a unit, not the building alone. When the focus is purely on the house, use sense 1. The term is most commonly found in historical or official church records.

Common Mistakes

The vicarage was painted white last year' (when referring to the position).
The vicarage was painted white last year' (correct if sense 1
the house). — If you mean the position, describe it as 'the vicarage was granted to a new priest' or similar.

Word family

  • vicar
    nounB2
  • vicarious
    adjectiveC1
  • vicariously
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe a house provided for a Christian clergy member, but they differ by denomination and clergy rank. A 'rectory' is the home of a rector — in the Church of England, a rector historically received the tithes of the parish directly. 'Parsonage' is a more general term for any parish priest's house and is still used in various Protestant churches around the world. 'Manse' is the term preferred in Scottish Presbyterian, Methodist, and some Nonconformist traditions. A vicarage is specifically for a vicar — a priest who receives a stipend rather than the tithes. In everyday British English, 'vicarage' is the most common of the four terms when talking about Church of England clergy housing. For example: 'The wedding reception was held at the vicarage garden,' not 'the rectory garden.'

rectoryparsonage ↗manse ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • vicarage garden
  • vicarage gate
  • vicarage kitchen
  • vicarage roof
  • vicarage door

Phrases

  • live at the vicarage
  • move into the vicarage
  • vicarage of St. Mary's

Prepositions

  • at the vicarage
  • in the vicarage
  • to the vicarage
  • from the vicarage

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Vicarage comes from the Latin word 'vicarius' meaning 'substitute' or 'deputy'. In the medieval Church of England, a vicar was a priest who acted as deputy for a rector (the main holder of the parish). The suffix '-age' was added to mean 'place of' or 'position of', forming 'vicarage' in Middle English to refer both to a vicar's house and to his official role with its income.