convent

American  

[kon-vent, -vuhnt] / ˈkɒn vɛnt, -vənt /

noun

1. a community of persons devoted to religious life under a superior.

   Synonyms:

   priory, abbey

2. a society or association of monks, friars, or nuns: now usually used of a society of nuns.

3. the building or buildings occupied by such a society; a monastery or nunnery.

   Synonyms:

   cloister

4. Obsolete. assembly; meeting.

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convent British  

/ ˈkɒnvənt /

noun

1. a building inhabited by a religious community, usually of nuns

2. the religious community inhabiting such a building

3. Also called: convent school.  a school in which the teachers are nuns

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convent Cultural  

1. A community of people in a religious order, especially nuns.

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Etymology

Origin of convent

1175–1225; < Medieval Latin conventus; Latin: assembly, coming together, equivalent to conven ( īre ) ( convene ) + -tus suffix of v. action; replacing Middle English covent < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin, as above

Explanation

A convent is a place where nuns live. Have you decided to dedicate the rest of your life to serving God? Well, then, maybe it’s time for you to consider moving into a convent. Although convent usually refers to the actual building where nuns live together, it can also sometimes more generally refer to a Christian community that is living according to religious vows. Catholic monks live in communities together in monasteries, while Catholic nuns tend to live in convents.

Example Sentences

In Rome, they founded the convent of Santa Maria del Popolo at one of the city's main entrances, with trees and gardens nearby.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026

Seasonal purists could just download the dozen or so Christmas episodes of this long-running and still-exceptional drama about a group of midwives working out of a convent in London’s East End.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

The remainder of the film is mostly set across the border in northern Italy, at a convent where the choir goes for three days of intensive rehearsal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

El Pais daily reported that the Civil Guard had searched the convent "to clarify if the former nuns had irregularly sold pieces of sacred art".

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

Most of the pictures she’d Scotch-taped to the walls were of TV stars, good-looking guys that Alex was pretty sure wouldn’t be welcomed at a convent, no matter how open-minded the sisters might be.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer