parsonage

/ˈpɑrsənɪdʒ/

Other forms: parsonages

Parsonage is a somewhat old-fashioned term for the housing a church provides to its clergy. The priest of a church in the English countryside might live in a nearby parsonage.

Parsonage literally means "house for a parson," and a parson is the member of the clergy, mainly in the British Anglican church, although Lutherans often use this terminology too. Other names for a parsonage include rectory, clergy house, or vicarage. One of the perks of being a priest in a small, rural church would be getting to live in a charming parsonage.

Definitions of parsonage

1. noun

   an official residence provided by a church for its parson or vicar or rector
   synonyms: rectory, vicarage

   types:

   glebe house

   a parsonage (especially one provided for the holder of a benefice)

   type of:

   residence

   the official house or establishment of an important person (as a sovereign or president)