Added 9 October 2026
vigil
/ˈvɪd͡ʒəl/ noun
In Latin: vigilia Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about vigil at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A period of sleeplessness.
- The rite of staying awake for devotional purposes (especially on the eve of a religious festival).
- A purposeful surveillance to guard or observe.
Origin
From Middle English vigile (“a devotional watching”), from Old French vigile, from Latin vigilia (“wakefulness, watch”), from vigil (“awake”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be strong, lively, awake”). Doublet of Wigilia. See also wake and vigor, from the same root.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)