monastic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to monasteries.
a monastic library.
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of monks or nuns, their manner of life, or their religious obligations.
monastic vows.
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of a secluded, dedicated, or austere manner of living.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to monasteries or monks, nuns, etc
-
resembling this sort of life; reclusive
noun
Other Word Forms
- monastically adverb
- nonmonastic adjective
- nonmonastically adverb
- pseudomonastic adjective
- pseudomonastical adjective
- pseudomonastically adverb
- semimonastic adjective
- unmonastic adjective
- unmonastically adverb
Etymology
Origin of monastic
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English monastik, from Middle French monastique or directly from Late Latin monasticus, from Late Greek monastikós, equivalent to monas- (derivative of monázein “to be alone, live alone”) + -ikos adjective suffix, with -t- by analogy with derivatives of agent nouns in -tēs; mon-, -ic: athlete )
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.
In 2022, after years of monastic refusal—I already know I need to move more!
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
“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
And then as I say in the book, I came home and turned on the TV and saw a documentary about Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, and monastic life and the priesthood.
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026
Then there’s Alton Brown’s “Burger of the Gods,” which is somehow even simpler — almost monastic in its restraint.
From Salon • Jul. 4, 2025
Her uncle seems almost a child, monastic in the modesty of his needs and wholly independent of any sort of temporal obligations.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
