(in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, especially as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty,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.
(in any religion) a man who is a member of a monastic order.
a Buddhist monk.
Printing. a dark area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type.
(James) Arthur Art, born 1957, U.S. football player.
Thelonious (Sphere), 1917–1982, U.S. jazz pianist and composer.
George. Monck, George.
Thelonious ( Sphere ) (θəˈləʊnɪəs). 1920–82, US jazz pianist and composer
a variant spelling of (George) Monck
a male member of a religious community bound by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience
(sometimes capital) a fancy pigeon having a bald pate and often large feathered feet
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.
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
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Users who have downloaded his app include a strip club owner, a Buddhist monk and parents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
He shaved off his black hair like a monk, gathered friends for tea and discreetly picked up the tab.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Nobody has an answer – not Lady Eboshi, certainly not San’s wolf mother or a monk who turns out not to be a monk at all.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Finally, to bring the day to a close, a senior monk gives a rousing speech, reminding the participants of their duty to procreate, before breaking into the national anthem.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
He could hardly be bothered with the progressively lunatic ramblings of a self-taught monk in Brno.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
When a mostly unknown, 21-year-old Ms. Salvant arrived at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition in 2010 and won, she seemed primed to become her generation’s great jazz singer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
The Jogye Order, South Korea's main Buddhist order and a driving force behind the trend, is looking to make religion more "approachable", spokesman Monk Myojang told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
He convinced Meredith Monk to write for orchestra and enticed everyone from Sarah Vaughan to the Mahavishnu Orchestra onto the symphony stage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
But council leader Jo Monk, who defected from the Conservatives to Reform before last year's elections, denied she had "lost control" of the council's finances.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
Obviously she hadn't told Mr. Monk about our arrangement.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
But the action is nullified by the fact that Ono assumes the stoic posture of the Buddhist monks seen in the news at the time setting themselves aflame in protest of the Vietnam War.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Watch: How are monks helping South Korean singles find love?
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
A representative of Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom, a hilltop temple in Mukdahan, told AFP the temple had taken in surviving and recovering monks, along with other followers involved in the procession.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Buddhist monks are highly venerated in Thailand, entrusted with preserving and passing on the Buddha's teachings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
He thought again of the crypt at the abbey, and the nights locked in with dead monks.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
