registry

registry — noun

1. An official place, office, or database where records such as births, deaths, mar

1.nounB2
Definition

An official place, office, or database where records such as births, deaths, marriages, property ownership, or legal documents are collected, stored, and made available for reference or checking.

Example

Sora went to the marriage registry to book his wedding appointment.

collocation: marriage registry

The land registry confirmed that the house belonged to Zuri's family.

collocation: land registry + passive construction

Common collocations
  • marriage registry
  • land registry
  • national registry
  • public registry
  • birth registry
  • death registry
  • cancer registry
  • company registry
  • official registry
Synonyms
  • register

    narrower in meaning — usually refers to the book, list, or database itself rather than the office or building where it is kept

  • record office

    more specific — emphasises the long-term archival function rather than active registration

  • bureau

    broader — can refer to any government department, not limited to record-keeping

Grammar Patterns

land registry / marriage registry / birth registry

Usage Note

Often combined with other nouns to specify the type of records kept, as in 'land registry', 'marriage registry', or 'birth registry'. The word can refer to a physical office, a digital database, or both.

Common Mistakes

I went to the registration to get my birth certificate.
I went to the registry to get my birth certificate.
'registration' is the process of signing up; 'registry' is the office that keeps the records.
Please write your name in the registry.' (when meaning a notebook or list)
Please write your name in the register.
'registry' is the office or system; 'register' is the book or list itself.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'registry' and 'register' both relate to official records, a registry is the place or system that holds records, whereas a register is the actual list or book of entries (e.g. 'the marriage register contains all the signatures'). A 'record office' emphasises long-term storage of historical documents rather than active day-to-day registration. An 'archive' is broader — it may hold any historical material, not just official records — and often implies older, preserved documents. A 'bureau' is a general term for a government department and covers many functions beyond record-keeping. For example, you visit a marriage registry to get married, but the signed book you put your name in is the marriage register; old parish records are kept in a local record office or archive, not a registry.

register ↗record officearchive ↗bureau ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • marriage registry
  • land registry
  • national registry
  • public registry
  • birth registry
  • official registry

Phrases

  • keep a registry
  • maintain a registry
  • set up a registry
  • check the registry

Prepositions

  • at the registry
  • in the registry
  • with the registry
  • from the registry

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'registry' comes from Latin 'regesta' (things recorded), which passed into Medieval Latin as 'registrum' and then into Old French as 'registre'. English borrowed 'register' in the 1300s, and later formed 'registry' (around the 1500s) to refer specifically to the place where a register is kept or the office responsible for maintaining records.