(in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, especially as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
(in any religion) a man who is a member of a monastic order.
a Buddhist monk.
Printing. a dark area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type.
(James) Arthur Art, born 1957, U.S. football player.
Thelonious (Sphere), 1917–1982, U.S. jazz pianist and composer.
George. Monck, George.
Thelonious ( Sphere ) (θəˈləʊnɪəs). 1920–82, US jazz pianist and composer
a variant spelling of (George) Monck
a male member of a religious community bound by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience
(sometimes capital) a fancy pigeon having a bald pate and often large feathered feet
Monk, friar refer to members of special male groups whose lives are devoted to the service of the church, especially in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox denominations. A monk is properly a member of a monastery, under a superior; he is bound by a vow of stability, and is a co-owner of the community property of the monastery. Since the Reformation, monk and friar have been used as if they were the same. A friar is, however, strictly speaking, a member of a mendicant order, whose members are not attached to a monastery and own no community property.
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Greek monachós “hermit,” noun use of adjective: “solitary,” equivalent to món(os) “alone” + -achos adjective suffix
A monk is a man who has dedicated his life to religion, partly by giving up some aspects of regular, worldly life. Many monks live together in a religious community. To a greater or lesser extent, a monk has chosen to leave society and devote his life to prayer and service. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, some monks pray unceasingly, while Buddhist monks often teach others, and Roman Catholic monks sing in choirs. In some cases, monks raise money for their churches by training dogs, baking bread, or even brewing beer. Originally, monk referred to men or women, though it's more common today to use nun for a woman.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At one point, she appears pained by a television report on the Vietnam War, showing a self-immolating monk; her unhappiness about becoming a mother is also offered as a plausible explanation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Luckily, you don’t have to live like a monk until retirement, said Michael Van Boening, director of the financial-planning group at Mercer Advisors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
The narrator of “The Behavior of the Hawkweeds” ruminates on her grandfather’s childhood encounters with Gregor Mendel, the monk whose experiments with pea plants laid the groundwork for modern genetics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Users who have downloaded his app include a strip club owner, a Buddhist monk and parents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Whereas those around me might grow up to be lawyers or movie stars, my only option was to take a vow of silence and become a monk.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
The urban aesthetic was augmented with a bluesy, funky score by composer Jim Lang, inspired by Thelonious Monk, Vince Guaraldi and Beck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Over the coming days, Monk kept chatting with James, whose polite Southern drawl and professional concern inspired trust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Monk and Johnson got off to a rocky start.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
COLUMBIA, S.C.—When Art Monk began getting calls and texts from In & Out Bail Bonds saying his adult child was in jail and needed help, Monk’s first reaction was swift and harsh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Inside the Monk Building, conspicuously posted signs led them down a series of corridors, past a room where a handful of parents waited anxiously, and at last into a room crowded with children in desks.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
SHANGRI-LA, China—When China’s masses want to experience the Tibet of chanting, crimson-robed monks and prayer flags flapping in the wind, they don’t go to Tibet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
“The Buddhist Bug” was created in 2011, a few years before “The Red Chador,” and inspired by the pervasiveness of the saffron-colored robes worn by monks in Cambodia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Watch: How are monks helping South Korean singles find love?
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
A group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in Mukdahan province during a pilgrimage when a truck ploughed into them.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
He was a fugitive, taking advantage of the kindness of the monks.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
