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View synonyms for monastery

monastery

[ mon-uh-ster-ee ]

noun

, plural mon·as·ter·ies.
  1. a house or place of residence occupied by a community of persons, especially monks, living in seclusion under religious vows.

    Synonyms: lamasery, friary, priory, abbey, cloister

  2. the community of persons living in such a place.


monastery

/ ˈmɒnəstərɪ; -strɪ; ˌmɒnəˈstɪərɪəl /

noun

  1. the residence of a religious community, esp of monks, living in seclusion from secular society and bound by religious vows


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Derived Forms

  • monasterial, adjective

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Other Words From

  • mon·as·te·ri·al [mon-, uh, -, steer, -ee-, uh, l], adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of monastery1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin monastērium, from Late Greek monastḗrion “monk house,” originally, “hermit's cell,” equivalent to monas-, variant stem of monázein “to be alone” + -tērion neuter adjective suffix denoting place; mono-

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Word History and Origins

Origin of monastery1

C15: from Church Latin monastērium, from Late Greek monastērion, from Greek monázein to live alone, from monos alone

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Example Sentences

A Spaniard by birth, Victor Serna left home shy of his 14th birthday and entered the monastery to become a Marist brother.

In 2008, his monastery was in desperate need of funds and Vreeland decided to lend a hand with his first photography exhibition.

Opposite is a red-brick monastery leaning like an ocean liner in the snow.

On Sunday Than Dar held the last of the funeral rites for her husband with a food donation ceremony at a monastery.

When he emerged from the Zen monastery on Mount Baldy, his enlightenment was followed with an all too worldly disaster.

In this place was a famous monastery, or temple, which would be an object of much interest and wonder to Yung Pak.

Passing through the gate, our friends found themselves at once in the midst of the Chang-an-sa monastery buildings.

It would be impossible to tell in detail about all the strange things Yung Pak saw at this monastery.

He made his way to Ireland, landed in his own province, and went to a monastery to hear mass.

To his right and far away lay a village, monastery buildings, a tall bare tower—St. Julien—very small; he must have travelled far.

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Monashmonastic