vigil

UK: /ˈvɪdʒɪl/ US: /ˈvɪdʒəl/ ,(vij′əl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

vig•il /ˈvɪdʒəl/   n. 

1. a period of staying awake maintained for any reason during the normal hours for sleeping:
   [countable] She maintained a vigil until he came home.
2. a watch or period of watchful attention maintained at night or at other times:
   [countable] a peace vigil.
   [uncountable] to keep vigil for someone.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

vig•il  (vij′əl), n. 

1. wakefulness maintained for any reason during the normal hours for sleeping.
2. a watch or a period of watchful attention maintained at night or at other times:
   The nurse kept her vigil at the bedside of the dying man.
3. a period of wakefulness from inability to sleep.
4. [Eccles.]
   • a devotional watching, or keeping awake, during the customary hours of sleep.
   • Sometimes, vigils. a nocturnal devotional exercise or service, esp. on the eve before a church festival.
   • the eve, or day and night, before a church festival, esp. an eve that is a fast.

• Medieval Latin vigilia eve of a holy day, special use of Latin vigilia watchfulness, equivalent. to vigil sentry + -ia -y³
• Anglo-French
• Middle English vigil(i)e 1200–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

vigil / ˈvɪdʒɪl/ noun

1. a purposeful watch maintained, esp at night, to guard, observe, pray, etc
2. the period of such a watch
3. the eve of certain major festivals, formerly observed as a night spent in prayer: often marked by fasting and abstinence and a special Mass and divine office

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French vigile, from Medieval Latin vigilia watch preceding a religious festival, from Latin: vigilance, from vigil alert, from vigēre to be lively