Cistercian

[si-stur-shuhn]

noun

1. a member of an order of monks and nuns founded in 1098 at Citeaux, near Dijon, France, under the rule of St. Benedict.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Cistercians.

Cistercian

/ sɪˈstɜːʃən /

noun

1. 1. Also called: White Monk. a member of a Christian order of monks and nuns founded in 1098, which follows an especially strict form of the Benedictine rule

   2. ( as modifier )

      a Cistercian monk

Other Word Forms

• Cistercianism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cistercian¹

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin Cisterciānus < Latin Cisterci ( um ) placename (now Cîteaux ) + -ānus -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cistercian¹

C17: from French Cistercien, from Medieval Latin Cisterciānus, from Cistercium (modern Cîteaux ), original home of the order

Example Sentences

Mr Sloan said he later built the cathedral at Inch Abbey as "an act of penance" and made that into a Cistercian monastery.

From BBC

The island and all the property on it are owned by a group of Cistercian monks and tens of thousands of tourists visit each year.

From BBC

Within a minute or two, Father Joseph Delargy appeared, dressed in the white robes of the Cistercian order, to bless the proceedings in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

From New York Times

The roots of the yew are growing into and around the ruins of the English Heritage site, Waverley Abbey - the first Cistercian monastery founded in Britain 900 years ago, the Woodlands Trust said.

From BBC

The settlement is located near the medieval farming community of Lodge and was run by a nearby Cistercian abbey.

From BBC