monastery

[ mon-uh-ster-ee ]
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noun,plural mon·as·ter·ies.
  1. a house or place of residence occupied by a community of persons, especially monks, living in seclusion under religious vows.

  2. the community of persons living in such a place.

Origin of monastery

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin monastērium, from Late Greek monastḗrion “monk house,” originally, “hermit's cell,” equivalent to monas-, variant stem of monázein “to be alone” + -tērion neuter adjective suffix denoting place; see mono-

Other words for monastery

Other words from monastery

  • mon·as·te·ri·al [mon-uh-steer-ee-uhl], /ˌmɒn əˈstɪər i əl/, adjective

Words Nearby monastery

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How to use monastery in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monastery

monastery

/ (ˈmɒnəstərɪ, -strɪ) /


nounplural -teries
  1. the residence of a religious community, esp of monks, living in seclusion from secular society and bound by religious vows

Origin of monastery

1
C15: from Church Latin monastērium, from Late Greek monastērion, from Greek monázein to live alone, from monos alone

Derived forms of monastery

  • monasterial (ˌmɒnəˈstɪərɪəl), adjective

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