chancery

[ chan-suh-ree ]

noun

, plural chan·cer·ies.

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

chancery

/ ˈtʃɑːnsərɪ /

noun

1. Also calledChancery Division (in England) the Lord Chancellor's court, now a division of the High Court of Justice
2. Also calledcourt of chancery (in the US) a court of equity
3. the political section or offices of an embassy or legation
4. another name for chancellery
5. a court of public records; archives
6. Christianity a diocesan office under the supervision of a bishop's chancellor, having custody of archives, issuing official enactments, etc
7. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chancery¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chancery¹

C14: shortened from chancellery

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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.

Example Sentences

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.

From BBC

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

From Seattle Times

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.

From Seattle Times

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.

From Washington Times

The nonpartisan group Mississippi Votes filed one in circuit court, and the Mississippi Democratic Party filed the other in chancery court.

From Seattle Times