ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chapel

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈtʃæpəɫ// UK //tʃˈæpəl// chapel Archaic

n. a small building or a private room used for Christian prayer and worship. It is often part of a larger building like a hospital, school, or prison.

n. a small place of Christian worship, typically attached to a larger institution or a private house. Often functions as a secondary place of prayer rather than a primary parish church.


SIMPLE

The hospital has a small chapel for patients and their families.

CONTEXTUAL

Students gather in the school chapel every Monday morning for a brief period of quiet reflection.

COMPLEX

The historic estate features a private chapel built in the fourteenth century, which remains the only part of the original structure that has never been renovated.

Usage

Often used without an article in phrases like 'at chapel' or 'in chapel', similar to 'at church'.

© 2026 English Reference