What does misericord mean?
A misericord is an uncommon formal noun with two distinct senses. In its principal historical and legal sense, it means a mercy killing: an intentional ending of a person's life undertaken because they are suffering severely. The word carries strong ethical and emotional associations and is not a neutral synonym for every kind of euthanasia. In a separate ecclesiastical and architectural sense, a misericord is a small wooden ledge beneath a folding choir seat. It provides support to a person who has risen during a service, especially when the seat has been folded upward. The word comes from Latin and is related to “mercy,” “merciful,” and “merciless.” Although relatively rare in everyday English, misericord is a precise and memorable word because it joins ideas of compassion and mercy with both the deliberate relief of suffering and the practical design of historic church furniture.
nounA mercy killing, especially one undertaken to end a person's suffering. The word can also denote a small wooden ledge on the underside of a folding choir seat that supports someone who is standing.
- A mercy killing, especially one carried out to relieve severe suffering.
- A small wooden ledge or support fixed beneath a folding choir seat, traditionally used by someone who has stood up during part of a service.
"The physician discussed whether a misericord was ethically justified in the case of a patient suffering unbearable pain."
"The court described the act as a misericord rather than an unlawful homicide."
"The old church had a carved misericord beneath each folding seat in its choir."
The plural is used for individual acts of mercy killing and for individual choir-seat supports.
"The records mention two misericords and describe the carved misericord beneath the north choir seat."
A misericord began as a word for mercy, then came to describe both a compassionate killing and the tiny ledge that helps choirgoers stand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does misericord come from?
The word entered English through Old French misericord, ultimately borrowed from Latin misericordia, a word formed from miser, meaning wretched or unfortunate, and cor, meaning heart. Its original sense concerned mercy, pity, or compassion. The modern sense of a deliberate mercy killing developed through the language of historical religious and legal debate. The separate sense for a support ledge in a folding choir seat arose from the object's association with mercy or relief, since it made standing more comfortable.
Related word forms
How misericord is actually used
The sense meaning a mercy killing is formal, uncommon, and often associated with historical or legal discussion. The choir-seat sense is chiefly used in architectural and ecclesiastical contexts.
Easily confused with misericord
A miser is a person who hoards money or possessions, whereas a misericord is a mercy killing or a support ledge on a choir seat.