Port Royal
Preserved but no longer current.
A convent about 8 miles SW. of Versailles which in the 17th century became the headquarters of the Jansenists (tf.v,). The community was suppressed by Louis XIV m 1660, but later again sprang into prominence and was condemned by a bull of Clement XI in 1713. Two years later the convent, which had been removed to Paris about 1637, was razed to the ground.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Port Royal” mean?
A convent about 8 miles SW. of Versailles which in the 17th century became the headquarters of the Jansenists (tf.v,). The community was suppressed by Louis XIV m 1660, but later again sprang into prominence and was condemned by a bull of Clement XI in 1713. Two years later the convent, which had been removed to Paris about 1637, was razed to the ground.
Is “Port Royal” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.