religious order

Cultural  

1. In Christianity, a group of men or women who live under religious vows. The three vows commonly taken are to relinquish all possessions and personal authority (vows of poverty and obedience) and not to engage in sexual relations (a vow of chastity). Religious orders are found in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, and, although rarely, in Protestant churches. The Franciscans, Jesuits, and Trappists are religious orders.

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religious order

Or you might have been at the table of the Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious order of Roman Catholic sisters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

According to Dr. Ilko, the Augustinians' close relationship with forests, mountains, and coastal areas was key to their survival as a religious order.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 2, 2026

Wealthy and powerful men used it as a sign of their status, the glittering accessories often signalling membership of a noble family or a religious order, or military rank.

From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026

The young Robert Prevost became a missionary in Peru for the Augustinians before going to Rome to head the religious order, which focuses on helping the marginalized of society.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2025

She was a member of a religious order that prohibited autopsies, but the doctors very much wanted to know what was replicating inside her.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston