1. Plural of preceptory; houses or estates belonging to a military or religious order, especially the Knights Templar, where a preceptor (commander) resided and administered the property.
Usage: historical; chiefly British

Examples

• The Knights Templar maintained numerous preceptories throughout medieval Europe.
• Many of the old preceptories in England were dissolved during the Reformation.
• The preceptories served as administrative centers for the military order's vast landholdings.
• Historians have documented the locations of several preceptories in Scotland and Wales.
• The preceptories housed knights, servants, and stored supplies for the order's operations.