What does registry mean?
A registry is a record, list, or system used to keep track of names, documents, facts, or other information in an organized way. It can mean the record itself, the office that maintains it, or, in computing, a centralized database such as a system registry. Registries are commonly associated with official and legal purposes: a government may maintain a registry of companies, vehicles, births, or professional qualifications. The word suggests that entries have been formally recorded and can be checked, retrieved, or verified. It is more formal than a simple list and often implies greater authority, structure, or permanence. In everyday institutional contexts, it may refer to the office responsible for maintaining these records. The term is also used in software and computing to describe a hierarchical store of configuration information. In all these uses, the central idea is a systematic place where relevant information is registered and made available for reference.
An official record, list, or system in which names, facts, documents, or other information are entered for identification, legal recognition, or reference.
"The registry of licensed practitioners is updated every quarter."
Often used for formal legal, governmental, institutional, or administrative records.
The office or organization responsible for maintaining an official record or system of registration.
"Applicants must apply to the registry before their credentials can be recognized."
This sense is especially common in legal and administrative contexts.
A centralized hierarchical database or system in which configuration information, settings, or other resources are stored and accessed according to defined rules.
"The administrator changed the default setting in the system registry."
This sense is used primarily in computing and software contexts.
The plural is formed by adding -ies to registry.
"The two registries share many of the same categories and submission procedures."
A registry is where a society decides what counts as official, memorable, or searchable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does registry come from?
Registry comes from the Latin registrum, meaning a list or record, derived from regere, meaning to rule, direct, or put in order. The English word developed through Old French and refers originally to a written record or book in which entries were made. Its modern sense extended beyond physical books to offices, legal records, and later computerized systems.
How registry is actually used
The word is formal and commonly refers to government, legal, institutional, or technical records. In computing, it often denotes a hierarchical data store rather than a physical register.
Easily confused with registry
A registry is the record or system itself, while a register is the book or list that forms part of it, though the words are closely related.
Registration is the act of entering something in a registry or the record resulting from that process; a registry is the organized record or system where entries are kept.