chapel

noun

chap·​el ˈcha-pəl 

1

: a subordinate or private place of worship: such as

a

: a place of worship serving a residence or institution

b

: a small house of worship usually associated with a main church

c

: a room or recess in a church for meditation and prayer or small religious services

2

: a place of worship used by a Christian group other than an established church

a nonconformist chapel

3

: a choir of singers belonging to a chapel

4

: a chapel service or assembly at a school or college

5

: an association of the employees in a printing office

6

a

: funeral home

b

: a room for funeral services in a funeral home

Did you know?

Chapel is ultimately derived from the Late Latin word cappa, meaning "cloak." How did we get from a garment to a building? The answer to this question has to do with a shrine created to hold the sacred cloak of St. Martin of Tours. In Medieval Latin, this shrine was called cappella (from a diminutive of cappa, meaning "short cloak or cape") in reference to the relic it contained. Later, the meaning of cappella broadened to include any building that housed a sacred relic, and eventually to a place of worship. Anglo-French picked up the term as chapele, which in turn passed into English as chapel in the 13th century. In case you are wondering, the term a cappella, meaning "without instrumental accompaniment," entered English from Italian, where it literally means "in chapel style."

Examples of chapel in a Sentence

a wedding chapel in Las Vegas

Church services will be held in the chapel this week.

Recent Examples on the Web

The dolls were displayed in a former chapel that is now part of the O.K. Linz museum (also known as O.K. Center for Contemporary Art), where the glass doors were shattered. —Steve Appleford, SPIN, 23 Jan. 2025

Andrea Mitchell, who got her start at NBC News during the Carter administration, was spotted in one of the cathedral chapels, which doubled as a warming room for reporters doing stand-ups or waiting for the clear to enter the cathedral itself. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2025

On Wednesday, the 76-year-old gave his annual Christmas speech, which was filmed at Fitzrovia Chapel, the former chapel of Middlesex Hospital in London. —Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 25 Dec. 2024

The 76-year-old British monarch delivered his speech from Fitzrovia Chapel, a community space in London and a former hospital chapel, circumventing tradition as typically monarchs deliver their holiday remarks from a castle or a palace. —Filip Timotija, The Hill, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French chapele, from Medieval Latin cappella, from diminutive of Late Latin cappa cloak; from the cloak of St. Martin of Tours preserved as a sacred relic in a chapel built for that purpose

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chapel

• chapel of ease
• lady chapel

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

chapel

noun

chap·​el ˈchap-əl 

1

: a building or place for prayer or special religious services

2

: a religious service or assembly at a school or college

Etymology

Middle English chapel "chapel," from early French chapele (same meaning), from Latin cappella "chapel," literally, "little cloak," from cappa "cloak, head covering"; so called from the structure built to house a revered cloak of Saint Martin of Tours — related to cape entry 2, chaperone