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Glite Dictionary
advowson

advowson

9.9
The right to choose who will be the priest at a local church
  • noun
  • /ædˈvaʊzən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : derecho de presentación
  • The local baron exercised his advowson to appoint a new vicar for the parish church.

Examples

  • Firstly, if the seigneur was the recognized founder of the church, he or she might hold the advowson, or right to appoint the parish priest.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Although variable according to region, some lay seigneurs maintained rights of advowson in the early modern period and, therefore, had a direct impact on the recruitment of clergy.

    Academic text (2018)

  • In medieval England, the advowson of a church often passed from father to son within noble families.

  • After the bishop's death, the advowson allowed the lord of the manor to nominate a successor.

Synonyms

advocation
vsadvowson
  • Archaic
9.9

The right to choose a leader for a local church

is the specific English legal term for that right

Surface Forms

advowson singular
advowsons plural

Etymology

Advowson comes from the old Latin word advocare, meaning 'to call', and it is related to the modern word advocate. So an advowson was the right to 'call' or present a priest to a church, which is why it means the right to name someone for a church job.