curia

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: cu=ri=a

CIDE DICTIONARY

curia, n. [L.].

•  One of the thirty parts into which the Roman people were divided by Romulus.  [1913 Webster]
•  The court of a sovereign or of a feudal lord; also; his residence or his household.  Burrill.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any court of justice.  [1913 Webster]
•  The Roman See in its temporal aspects, including all the machinery of administration; -- called also curia Romana.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

curia, n. (also curia) the papal court; the government departments of the Vatican.

Derivative

Curial adj.

Etymology

L: orig. a division of an ancient Roman tribe, the senate house at Rome, a feudal court of justice