ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Vigil

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈvɪd͡ʒəl/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Vigil is a noun meaning An instance of keeping awake during normal sleeping hours, especially to keep watch or pray.

Meaning

An instance of keeping awake during normal sleeping hours, especially to keep watch or pray.

More Meanings

  1. A period of observation or surveillance at any hour.
  2. The eve of a religious festival in which staying awake is part of the ritual devotions.
  3. A quiet demonstration in support of a cause.
  4. To participate in a vigil.

Example Sentences

His dog kept vigil outside the hospital for eight days while he was recovering from an accident.
The protesters kept vigil outside the conference centre in which the party congress was being held.
A vigil was held for Ms. Cheptegei on Wednesday night, Ms. Indimuli said, with many women praying that she would survive.
Eventually the body trade grew so reckless that relatives took to holding graveside vigils, lest their loved ones disappear in the night.

Word Forms

Synonyms for vigil

Depending on context, synonyms include lookout, look-out, watch.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include watch, vigilance, alertness, viewing, wake, surveillance.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.