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:
"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
Tenor Roy Hage is the amiable Volmar, Hildegard’s confidant in the monastery and baritone David Adam Moore her tormentor abbot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025
Mr Shi, who has been Shaolin Temple's abbot since 1999, has earned the nickname "CEO monk" for transforming the institution into a global brand.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2025
“And who are you little people?” the abbot asked.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Benedictine Abbot Nikodemus Schnabel said the situation has worsened dramatically since he first arrived in Jerusalem in 2000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
He was arrested in Newton Abbot, a town roughly 10 miles from Haytor.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Competitors for Afib products exist, mainly Abbot Laboratories.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
"For those needing to make their journey, replacement transport is available at Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot."
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2026
The Abbot studied the wonderment in Matthias’s eyes as he asked him a question, the answer to which the wise mouse already knew.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
“Not many abbots built castles as well as monasteries.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 22, 2022
There are also temples which have attracted large and dedicated followings, through skilful promotion of charismatic monks and abbots, said to have supernatural powers.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2017
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
In these prickly missives, Burns vamps and camps merrily, elsewhere referring to homosexual figures in whimsical religious terms, as abbots and abbesses.
From New York Times ● Jul. 31, 2013
It was a body of great respectability that thus gathered to pay homage, containing, as it did, both laymen and churchmen, lords, bishops, and abbots.
From Canute the Great The Rise of Danish Imperialism during the Viking Age by Laurence Marcellus Larson
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