monasticism

American  

[muh-nas-tuh-siz-uhm] / məˈnæs təˌsɪz əm /

noun

1. the monastic system, condition, or mode of life.

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monasticism British  

/ məˈnæstɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

1. the monastic system, movement, or way of life

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Etymology

Origin of monasticism

First recorded in 1785–95; monastic + -ism

Explanation

Monasticism is a way of living that's religious, isolated from other people, and self-disciplined. In many religions, monks and nuns practice monasticism. Do you live as though you're a monk in a monastery? Then you can describe your lifestyle as monasticism. In fact, all three of these words share the same Greek root, monos, or "alone." Monasticism is usually religious, but it can be used to describe any mode of living that's either solitary or within a community that's isolated from the rest of the world. Your monasticism may lead you to buy a cabin in the woods, where you can be self-sufficient and spend a lot of time meditating.

Example Sentences

Monasticism gave women a role in society that was not based on their relationship to a father or husband, and some women enjoyed considerable influence as abbesses.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Peter Brown, Princeton University scholar of late antiquity, will lecture on “Alms, Work and the Holy Poor: Early Christian Monasticism between Syria and Egypt.”

From Washington Post

Monasticism, shielding a candle through the Dark Ages, meets the blaze of the Enlightenment.

From Time Magazine Archive

Monasticism, particularly, requires what Kaufmann calls "one great decision, once�to renounce the prerogative of making major decisions."

From Time Magazine Archive

Monasticism no less than the papacy was of the very essence of the Church of the Middle Ages.

From The History of England From the Accession of Henry III. to the Death of Edward III. (1216-1377) by Hunt, William