Cistercian

American  

[si-stur-shuhn] / sɪˈstɜr ʃən /

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.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Cistercians.

Cistercian British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• Cistercianism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Cistercian

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

Example Sentences

“We continue discerning with our Order where to live our Cistercian monastic life, keeping you informed as this process unfolds,” they said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

It is presumed to represent the Cistercian monastery of Vyšší Brod in southern Bohemia, near the Austrian border, of which Petr, his ancestors and successors were patrons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

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 • Jul. 11, 2023

Cistercian monks first identified the site, on roughly 12.5 acres on a rocky, southeast-facing slope, as a distinctive vineyard early in the 12th century.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2022

The next man to pass the window might have been one sort of Cistercian lay-brother, whom you would have expected to be a learned man because of his doth.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White