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• abbot
  abbot

  noun

  a man who is the head or superior, usually elected, of a monastery.
• Abbot
  Abbot

  noun

  Charles Greeley, 1872–1973, U.S. astrophysicist.

abbot

¹ American  

[ab-uht] / ˈæb ət /

noun

• abbots
  plural

1. a man who is the head or superior, usually elected, of a monastery.

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Abbot ² American  

[ab-uht] / ˈæb ət /

noun

1. Charles Greeley, 1872–1973, U.S. astrophysicist.

2. Also Abbott a first name.

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abbot British  

/ ˈæbət /

noun

1. the superior of an abbey of monks

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• abbotcy
  noun
• abbotship
  noun
• subabbot
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• abbots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of abbot

First recorded before 900; Middle English, variant of abbat, from Latin abbāt- (stem of abbās ), from Greek, from Aramaic abbā; replacing Middle English, Old English abbod (compare Old High German abbat ), from Late Latin abbād- for abbāt-; cf. Abba ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

An abbot is the head of a monastery. Just as businesses have bosses and teams have coaches, the monastery has an abbot. The word abbot comes from the Greek abbas, which means "father” as a title with honor. An abbot is the superior of a monastery, the father of the fathers — in other words. Other monks must obey the abbot, and the abbot should lead and inspire all the monks.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abbot Abbot abbots

"People are facing many economic hardships," said the abbot, U Thudassa.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

“I am looking forward to the silence finally stopping, because 54 years of silence is a long time,” said Bishop Kassianos of Aravissos, the abbot of the seminary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025

Caldey Abbey commissioned the report, and its new abbot apologised for the pain and suffering caused.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2024

And at the closing ceremony, Yeo-am, the temple’s abbot, offered some parting words of wisdom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2024

“For this lion is not the king of beasts! There is one greater than him. His abbot, Hubert the Good. Do you want to tame the lion? Go to his master!”

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Competitors for Afib products exist, mainly Abbot Laboratories.

From Barron's ● May 28, 2026

Are the Hairy Hands about to turn up in Shipton Abbot?

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

In the lines of Abbot Cuno, Hildegard’s antagonist, David Adam Moore exudes weight and a sense of superiority; Tenor Roy Hage, as her friend Volmar, radiates concern.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026

And Abbot and Robby — I just sort of shake my head.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026

The Abbot shook with silent laughter as he watched Matthias march off with a soldier-like swagger.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

State media puts out a continuous stream of reports showing the diminutive dictator lavishing gifts on temples, and as a pallbearer at the funerals of senior abbots.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2024

The number of temples has tripled, monks and abbots have become well-known public figures, and China has used the faith to build ties around the world, sending nuns and monks on goodwill missions.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2018

Splattered across the lands of central Europe are countless territories overseen by an emperor who shared power with a hierarchy spanning princes, bishops and dukes, down to abbots, knights and city councils.

From Economist ● Apr. 14, 2016

In these prickly missives, Burns vamps and camps merrily, elsewhere referring to homosexual figures in whimsical religious terms, as abbots and abbesses.

From New York Times ● Jul. 31, 2013

Thus there were archbishops, bishops, abbots, dukes, margraves, landgraves, counts—forming together a large body—each of whom claimed to have no superior save the emperor, whose authority they and their predecessors had slowly destroyed.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 8 "Germany" to "Gibson, William" by Various

Related Words

• monk