Synonyms

monastery

American

[mon-uh-ster-ee] / ˈmɒn əˌstɛr i /

noun

plural

monasteries

a house or place of residence occupied by a community of persons, especially monks, living in seclusion under religious vows.

Synonyms:

lamasery, friary, priory, abbey, cloister
the community of persons living in such a place.

monastery British

/ ˌmɒnəˈstɪərɪəl, ˈmɒnəstərɪ, -strɪ /

noun

the residence of a religious community, esp of monks, living in seclusion from secular society and bound by religious vows

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

monasterial adjective

Etymology

Origin of monastery

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin monastērium, from Late Greek monastḗrion “monk house,” originally, “hermit's cell,” equivalent to monas-, variant stem of monázein “to be alone” + -tērion neuter adjective suffix denoting place; mono-

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That stone now sits in an altar at St Davids Cathedral, built on the site of his original monastery.

From BBC

Leo's visit, which is expected to focus on interfaith dialogue, comes 30 years after the beheading of seven French Trappist monks from a monastery during the 1990s civil war.

From Barron's

The 19 travelling monks are from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the globe.

From BBC

He inherited great wealth from his father, and seized more from monasteries after breaking with the Catholic church, yet still ended up short on cash.

From Barron's

She was exiled to a monastery where she wrote “The Alexiad.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023