registry
REH-jih-stree
/ˈrɛdʒɪstri/
A place where official records are kept, or the register itself.
Refers to the system, database, or physical location of the records, rather than the person managing them.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Medieval Latin registrum, registry entered English in the late Middle Ages to denote the physical office where records were stored. Over time, it shifted from describing the building to describing the database or system itself.
Word relationships
- archive: An archive is a collection of historical documents, whereas a registry is an active, systematically updated record system.
- directory: A directory is typically a list of contact information, while a registry holds legally binding records.
Commonly confused with
- ledger: A ledger is a specific book or account of financial transactions, while a registry is a broader system of official records.
Word family
- register (noun): An official list or record book.
Collocations
- land registry
- civil registry
- central registry
- online registry
Example sentences
- "The national donor registry matches patients with compatible bone marrow donors." National health databases
- "The land registry contains detailed maps and ownership histories of every plot in the county." Property ownership
Memory hook
A registry is the tree of records, branching out with every new entry. Registry = the tree of records.
When not to use
Do not use to describe the individual person in charge of records; that is the registrar.
Fun facts
- The oldest continuous civil registry in the world is believed to be in China, dating back to the Han Dynasty's household registration systems.
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