A building in which things are registered or where registers are kept.
"The new fire safety registry is located in the basement of City Hall, where all equipment logs are stored."
In plain English: A registry is an official list where information about something is recorded and kept safe.
"You need to register your new baby with the local health registry within three days of their birth."
Usage: A registry refers to an official office, such as the birth registry, rather than just any storage room. Use it specifically when discussing government records or formal registration systems like a marriage registry.
The word registry comes from the Middle English regestery, which was borrowed from Medieval Latin terms meaning "record book" or "bookmark." It entered English as a variant spelling of register, combining that root with the suffix -y to denote a place or collection.