Jump To:

• monk
  monk

  noun

  (in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, especially as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
• Monk
  Monk

  noun

  (James) Arthur Art, born 1957, U.S. football player.

monk

¹ American  

[muhngk] / mʌŋk /

noun

monks plural

1. (in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, especially as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

   Synonyms:

   brother

2. (in any religion) a man who is a member of a monastic order.

   a Buddhist monk.

3. Printing. a dark area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type.

---

Monk ² American  

[muhngk] / mʌŋk /

noun

1. (James) Arthur Art, born 1957, U.S. football player.

2. Thelonious (Sphere), 1917–1982, U.S. jazz pianist and composer.

3. George. Monck, George.

---

Monk ¹ British  

/ mʌŋk /

noun

1. Thelonious ( Sphere ) (θəˈləʊnɪəs). 1920–82, US jazz pianist and composer

2. a variant spelling of (George) Monck

---

monk ² British  

/ mʌŋk /

noun

1. a male member of a religious community bound by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

2. (sometimes capital) a fancy pigeon having a bald pate and often large feathered feet

---

Synonym Usage

Monk, friar refer to members of special male groups whose lives are devoted to the service of the church, especially in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox denominations. A monk is properly a member of a monastery, under a superior; he is bound by a vow of stability, and is a co-owner of the community property of the monastery. Since the Reformation, monk and friar have been used as if they were the same. A friar is, however, strictly speaking, a member of a mendicant order, whose members are not attached to a monastery and own no community property.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• monks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of monk

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Greek monachós “hermit,” noun use of adjective: “solitary,” equivalent to món(os) “alone” + -achos adjective suffix

Explanation

A monk is a man who has dedicated his life to religion, partly by giving up some aspects of regular, worldly life. Many monks live together in a religious community. To a greater or lesser extent, a monk has chosen to leave society and devote his life to prayer and service. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, some monks pray unceasingly, while Buddhist monks often teach others, and Roman Catholic monks sing in choirs. In some cases, monks raise money for their churches by training dogs, baking bread, or even brewing beer. Originally, monk referred to men or women, though it's more common today to use nun for a woman.

Example Sentences

By his 20s, Rollins had already managed to play with jazz legends including Parker, Miles Davis and especially Thelonious Monk.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Monk, who officially resigned as leader of the council on Thursday morning before a vote could take place, also confirmed she had resigned from her party and was now an independent councillor.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

There is the It Club, owned by a Black gangster and visited by everyone from Miles to Coltrane to Monk, who recorded an album there.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

And the jazzy “Robbery,” a boastful number about dominating the competition and coming out on top, has musical references to Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington and features rapper Doechii.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

I wasn't stupid enough to try to repeat it, like Mr. Monk expected.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Related Words

• abbot
• friar
• priest