cloister

1 of 2

noun

clois·​ter ˈklȯi-stər 

1

a

: a monastic establishment

b

: an area within a monastery or convent to which the religious are normally restricted

c

: monastic life

young men and women choosing the cloister as a way of life

d

: a place or state of seclusion

… the Internet broke out of its academic cloister and started cavorting in the mainstream.

—Paul McFedries

2

: a covered passage on the side of a court usually having one side walled and the other an open arcade or colonnade

The courtyard is surrounded with a cloister.

Illustration of cloister

• cloister 2

cloister

2 of 2

verb

cloistered; cloistering ˈklȯi-st(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to seclude from the world in or as if in a cloister

a scientist who cloisters herself in a laboratory

policy makers are cloistered for the weekend, trying to stave off a default that they fear could trigger an international financial panic

—Art Pine

2

: to surround with a cloister

cloistered gardens

Did you know?

Cloister first entered the English language as a noun in the 13th century; it referred then (as it still does) to a convent or monastery. More than three centuries later, English speakers began using the verb cloister to mean "to seclude in or as if in a cloister." Today, the noun can also refer to the monastic life or to a covered and usually arched passage along or around a court. You may also encounter cloistered with the meaning "surrounded with a covered passage," as in "cloistered gardens." Cloister ultimately derives from the Latin verb claudere, meaning "to close." Other words that can be traced back to the prolific claudere include close, conclude, exclude, include, preclude, seclude, and recluse.

Synonyms

Noun

• abbey
• friary
• hermitage
• monastery
• priory

Examples of cloister in a Sentence

Noun

monks living in a cloister in the country

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The wide open space of the glorious Sistine Chapel, wonderful ornate cloisters and marble staircases needed a flip side to them. —Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2025

Christian intellectuals increasingly accepted input from classical and contemporary non-Christian sources, particularly in emerging urban schools, which were beginning to replace monastic cloisters as centers of learning in Europe. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2024

Verb

The first broad generation of American economists, of the Gilded Age, were nebbish cloistered bookworms who missed out on being a doer in the greatest era of being a doer, the industrial revolution. —Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025

This weekend will also mark a rare foray into public view for Trump, who has largely remained cloistered away at Mar-a-Lago in Florida since winning a second term roughly a month ago. —Brett Samuels, The Hill, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English cloistre, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin claustrum, from Latin, bar, bolt, from claudere to close — more at close entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

cloister

1 of 2 noun

clois·​ter ˈklȯi-stər 

1

a

: monastery, convent

b

: monastic life

2

: a covered usually arched passage along or around a court

cloister

2 of 2 verb

1

: to shut away from the world in or as if in a cloister

leads a cloistered life

2

: to surround with a cloister

cloistered gardens