monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmä-nə-ˌster-ē 

plural monasteries

: a house for persons under religious vows

especially : an establishment for monks

Synonyms

• abbey
• cloister
• friary
• hermitage
• priory

Examples of monastery in a Sentence

Gregory Mendel worked out his concepts of genetics by doing breeding experiments using pea plants in the monastery's garden.

Recent Examples on the Web

Excavations at the monastery in Larunbe are ongoing. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 17 June 2024

As the second-youngest child, Mr. Lama was dispatched to the local monastery, which could be counted on to feed an extra mouth. —Bhadra Sharma, New York Times, 11 June 2024

Once a 13th-century monastery, the hotel is directly connected to the Baroque St. Thomas Church and offers tours to guests every week, including a peek into its 13th-century library. —Emily Hochberg, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2024

The monastery was first built in 1484 during the construction of Prince Ivan Crnojevićs' castle. —Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English monasterie, from Late Latin monasterium, from Late Greek monastērion, from Greek, hermit's cell, from monazein to live alone, from monos single — more at monk

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmän-ə-ˌster-ē 

plural monasteries

: a place where a community of monks or nuns live and work

monasterial

ˌmän-ə-ˈstir-ē-əl

adjective