Benedictine

American  

[ben-i-dik-tin, -teen, -tahyn, ben-i-dik-teen] / ˌbɛn ɪˈdɪk tɪn, -tin, -taɪn, ˌbɛn ɪˈdɪk tin /

noun

1. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. a member of an order of monks founded at Monte Cassino by St. Benedict about a.d. 530.

   2. a member of any congregation of nuns following the rule of St. Benedict.

2. a French liqueur originally made by Benedictine monks.

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adjective

1. of or relating to St. Benedict or the Benedictines.

Benedictine British  

noun

1. a monk or nun who is a member of a Christian religious community founded by or following the rule of Saint Benedict

2. a greenish-yellow liqueur made from a secret formula developed at the Benedictine monastery at Fécamp in France in about 1510

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adjective

1. of or relating to Saint Benedict, his order, or his rule

Etymology

Origin of Benedictine

1620–30; St. Benedict + -ine ¹

Example Sentences

Even at the New Camaldoli Hermitage, a Benedictine monastery above Lucia, the road’s reopening and coming summer season have made a difference.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

She introduces an 11th-century Benedictine monk named Guido, who taught his singing students about “the intervals between notes” by pointing to different parts of his hand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

A different Father — Benedictine priest Maximilian Maxwell— sprinkled holy water in the end zone before his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with the AFC North title on the line.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

The three-time Super Bowl star's comments were among a number of views given during a 20-minute commencement speech at Benedictine College, Kansas.

From BBC • May 16, 2024

It chafed me as much as the Benedictine habit, as it turns out.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver