abbot
noun
a man who is the head or superior, usually elected, of a monastery.
abbot
1 American
[ab-uht]
/ ˈæb ət /
noun
-
abbots
plural
Abbot
2
American
[ab-uht]
/ ˈæb ət /
noun
-
Charles Greeley, 1872–1973, U.S. astrophysicist.
-
Also Abbott a first name.
abbot
British
/ ˈæbət /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of abbot
First recorded before 900; Middle English, variant of abbat, from Latin abbāt- (stem of abbās ), from Greek, from Aramaic abbā; replacing Middle English, Old English abbod (compare Old High German abbat ), from Late Latin abbād- for abbāt-; cf. Abba 1 ( def. )
Explanation
An abbot is the head of a monastery. Just as businesses have bosses and teams have coaches, the monastery has an abbot. The word abbot comes from the Greek abbas, which means "father” as a title with honor. An abbot is the superior of a monastery, the father of the fathers — in other words. Other monks must obey the abbot, and the abbot should lead and inspire all the monks.
Vocabulary lists containing abbot
Name That Job: Occupational Last Names
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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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:
Phra Wachirayan Wi, a former abbot at the prominent 14th-Century Wat Phutthaisawan in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, allegedly pocketed donations meant for the temple on more than 20 occasions over two years.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
"People are facing many economic hardships," said the abbot, U Thudassa.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
“I am looking forward to the silence finally stopping, because 54 years of silence is a long time,” said Bishop Kassianos of Aravissos, the abbot of the seminary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
But she goes over the head of her adversarial abbot, Cuno, and convinces the Pope that her visions are the voice of God.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025
They knelt together, the three of them, and the abbot began to whisper.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Competitors for Afib products exist, mainly Abbot Laboratories.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
The business created by Goel and Raheja operated under various names, including Abbot Pacific LLC and Jet Set Work LLC, according to prosecutors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026
Irth’s team includes Mack Abbot, a former employee of Starboard Value, the activist hedge fund that made an investment in Papa Johns several years ago and whose founder became chairman of its board.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
Austins department store in Newton Abbot, Devon, was also targeted by Strange on three separate occasions – and staff said they too were able to figure out who she was.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025
“Accident or not, we owe Cornflower a debt of gratitude,” replied the Abbot.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Bishoprics and monasteries behaved the same way; abbots and abbesses could be lords who were owed service and also owed service to greater lords.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
The number of temples has tripled, monks and abbots have become well-known public figures, and China has used the faith to build ties around the world, sending nuns and monks on goodwill missions.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2018
The number of temples has tripled, monks and abbots have become well-known public figures, and China has used the faith to build ties around the world, sending out nuns and monks on good-will missions.
From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2018
Splattered across the lands of central Europe are countless territories overseen by an emperor who shared power with a hierarchy spanning princes, bishops and dukes, down to abbots, knights and city councils.
From Economist ● Apr. 14, 2016
With him were numerous ecclesiastics, bishops, abbots, and monks.
From Canute the Great The Rise of Danish Imperialism during the Viking Age by Laurence Marcellus Larson
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.
