registry
REJ-ih-stree
/ˈredʒ.ɪ.stri/
A place where registers are kept; in weddings, a list of desired gifts or the office where marriages are legally recorded.
In the US, it usually refers to the gift list; in the UK, a 'registry office' is where civil marriages take place.
The story behind the word. From the Medieval Latin 'regesta', meaning 'things recorded', from 'regerere', meaning 'to carry back'. It refers to the place where important events are 'carried back' to the books for permanent record.
Word relationships
- record: A record is the information itself; a registry is the place or system where it is kept.
Commonly confused with
- register: A register is the book or list; a registry is the office or the whole system.
Word family
- register (verb): To record something officially.
- registration (noun): The act of registering.
Collocations
- wedding registry
- bridal registry
- registry office
Example sentences
- "The couple set up a wedding registry at a local home goods store to help guests choose gifts." Planning for wedding gifts.
- "They decided to skip the big church wedding and get married at the registry office." The legal act of marriage (UK context).
Memory hook
Registry = Register-Tree (a tree of records). Record it in the registry.
When not to use
Don't use it to mean a 'diary' or 'journal'.
Fun facts
- The first modern wedding registry was created by the Marshall Field's department store in 1924.
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