monastic

[ muh-nas-tik ]
See synonyms for: monasticmonastics on Thesaurus.com

adjectiveAlso mo·nas·ti·cal.
  1. of or relating to monasteries: a monastic library.

  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of monks or nuns, their manner of life, or their religious obligations: monastic vows.

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a secluded, dedicated, or austere manner of living.

noun
  1. a member of a monastic community or order, especially a monk.

Origin of monastic

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English monastik, from Middle French monastique or directly from Late Latin monasticus, from Late Greek monastikós, equivalent to monas- (derivative of monázein “to be alone, live alone”) + -ikos adjective suffix, with -t- by analogy with derivatives of agent nouns in -tēs; see mon-,-ic: cf. athlete)

Other words from monastic

  • mo·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb
  • non·mo·nas·tic, adjective
  • non·mo·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb
  • pseu·do·mo·nas·tic, adjective
  • pseu·do·mo·nas·ti·cal, adjective
  • pseu·do·mo·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb
  • sem·i·mo·nas·tic, adjective
  • un·mo·nas·tic, adjective
  • un·mo·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby monastic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use monastic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monastic

monastic

/ (məˈnæstɪk) /


adjectivemonastical
  1. of or relating to monasteries or monks, nuns, etc

  2. resembling this sort of life; reclusive

noun
  1. a person who is committed to this way of life, esp a monk

Derived forms of monastic

  • monastically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012