# chancery

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈt͡ʃɑːnsəɹɪ/ · frequency rank #32,314

## Definitions
1. In England, formerly, the highest court of judicature next to the Parliament, exercising jurisdiction at law, but chiefly in equity; but under the jurisdiction act of 1873 it became the chancery division of the High Court of Justice, and now exercises jurisdiction only in equity
2. A court of equity; equity; a proceeding in equity.
3. The type of building that houses a diplomatic mission or embassy.
4. The type of building that houses the offices and administration of a diocese; the offices of a diocese.
5. In the Middle Ages, a government office that produced and notarized official documents.
6. The position of a boxer's head when under his adversary's arm.
7. Any awkward predicament.
8. Ellipsis of chancery hand.

## Etymology
From French chancellerie, from Late Latin cancellaria, from Latin cancellarius, from Latin cancellus (“lattice”) (English chancel), from Latin cancelli (“grating, bars”), from the lattice-work that separated a section of a church or court.
See related chancellor and chancellery, and the more distantly related incarcerate (“put behind bars”), from carcer (“prison”).
The adverbial form is an allusion to the condition of a person involved in the chancery court.

## Easily confused with
- **Chaney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chancery-vs-chaney)
- **chances** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chancery-vs-chances)
- **changer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chancery-vs-changer)
- **Chaucer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chancery-vs-chaucer)
- **Chauncey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chancery-vs-chauncey)
- **chance** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chance-vs-chancery)
- **cancer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cancer-vs-chancery)
- **chancel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chancel-vs-chancery)
- **cannery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cannery-vs-chancery)

## Common misspellings (13)
`cahncery`, `cchancery`, `chacnery`, `chanccery`, `chancerry`, `chanceryy`, `chanceyr`, `chancrey`, `chanecry`, `channcery`, `chhancery`, `chnacery`, `hcancery`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/chancery