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Synonyms

monkhood

American  
[muhngk-hood] / ˈmʌŋk hʊd /

noun

  1. the condition or profession of a monk.

  2. monks collectively.


monkhood British  
/ ˈmʌŋkhʊd /

noun

  1. the condition of being a monk

  2. monks collectively

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of monkhood

Middle English monkehode, Old English munuchād. See monk, -hood

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.

See Examples For:

The gig becomes a lonely endeavor, however, when the pandemic hits and he’s confined to a depopulated campus, sent unwillingly into a kind of monkhood.

From Los Angeles Times May 15, 2026

Today on “Modern Love,” Jay shares how anyone can bring the lessons of monkhood into dating and love — even if you’ve never stepped foot in an ashram.

From New York Times Apr. 5, 2023

Following their release from hospital, the boys are now planning to enter the Thai monkhood, as a way to pay tribute to the Thai Navy Sea, Saman Kunan, who died during the rescue operation.

From The Guardian Jul. 18, 2018

After his parents died in Myanmar when he was a boy, he entered the Buddhist monkhood in Thailand for nearly a decade, a common option for orphans untethered from financial support.

From Seattle Times Jul. 10, 2018

You could no more imagine grapes without a vine than a Buddhist monkhood that did not spring directly from, and depend entirely on, the people.

From The Soul of a People by H. (Harold) Fielding

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