abbey
noun
a monastery under the supervision of an abbot or a convent under the supervision of an abbess.
abbey
1 American
[ab-ee]
/ ˈæb i /
noun
-
abbeys
plural
-
a monastery under the supervision of an abbot or a convent under the supervision of an abbess.
-
the group of buildings comprising such a monastery or convent.
-
the church of an abbey.
Abbey
2
American
[ab-ee]
/ ˈæb i /
noun
-
Edward, 1927–89, U.S. novelist and nature writer.
-
Edwin Austin, 1852–1911, U.S. painter and illustrator.
-
a first name, form of Abigail.
abbey
British
/ ˈæbɪ /
noun
-
a building inhabited by a community of monks or nuns governed by an abbot or abbess
-
a church built in conjunction with such a building
-
such a community of monks or nuns
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of abbey
1200–50; Middle English abbey ( e ) < Old French abeie < Late Latin abbātia abbacy
Explanation
An abbey is a church that's part of a monastery or convent. You'll often find monks or nuns in an abbey. There are a few types of abbeys, but they're all related to intense religious dedication. An abbey can be a monastery or convent, which is either composed of monks or nuns who have withdrawn from society to live a life of poverty and chastity. You can also call a church associated with a monastery or convent an abbey. That type of abbey will be run by the monks or nuns but also open to other churchgoers.
Vocabulary lists containing abbey
Medieval Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On Thursday morning, Ihor M. -- whose last name has been withheld under Polish privacy law -- entered the Benedictine abbey in Jaroslaw, in southeastern Poland.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
To reach the abbey, visitors must climb the town’s famous 199 steps that rise along the cliff.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
Chinese brides lining up to marry in Yorkshire abbey.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026
First seen in its full glory at the nearby abbey of St. Denis, Gothic architecture served an age without electricity—one that learned to reduce its walls to their physical minimum in order to welcome sunlight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
It is a Sunday morning service in an abbey or cathedral.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
At Fountains Abbey, this could include increasing drainage capacity and gutters to cope with heavier rainfall.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Bangor Abbey Boxing Academy, where Close had trained, said he will be a "huge loss to the boxing fraternity of Ireland and across the world".
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Abbey, who has endometriosis which she says causes her to feel bloated, began doing her own massage routines twice a week aer seeing social media posts about lymphatic drainage.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Alternately, a full-scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry is available to see for free in Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire and at Reading Museum.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
“No more will the Abbey be known as Redwall. It shall be called Cluny’s Castle! Everything will change!”
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
If you’re new to her work, here is where to start with Groff’s sprawling canon, which spans from steamy Florida swamps to medieval abbeys with a gift for the unexpected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
Abbey beers, which involve a brewer paying royalties in exchange for using the abbey name, are common in Belgium, but until now they have only been with abbeys housing monks.
From Reuters ● Dec. 10, 2021
From the 12th century, there began an elaborate system of ownership, with the crown granting special license to landed lords and special institutions, such as the universities, abbeys and livery companies, to husband the swans.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 19, 2018
The peloton sped by ruined abbeys and sights like the 14th-century Bolton Castle, near Leyburn, before finishing in Harrogate, which is known for its spas.
From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2014
Alongside death and despair, this was also the period of astounding Gothic architecture, with the most extraordinary cathedrals, abbeys and churches being built all over Europe.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
