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, referring 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 the adjective cloistered with the meaning “separated from the rest of the world [as if in a cloister],” as in “She leads a private, cloistered life in the country.” Cloister ultimately comes 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

• monastery
• abbey

Examples of cloister in a Sentence

Noun

monks living in a cloister in the country

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Staged at the atmospheric Cloître Saint-Trophime–a 12th-century Romanesque cloister and UNESCO World Heritage Site–this exhibition is the winning project of the BMW ART MAKERS 2025 programme and marks the 15th year of BMW France’s cultural partnership with the festival. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Give yourself ample time to tour the 42-acre complex; besides the mausoleum, there is a mosque, a guest house, cloisters, courtyards, and vast gardens. 6. —Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 25 July 2025

Verb

Then proceed to the dining patio that feels like a secret garden, where the tables and fountains are cloistered among 100 or so flourishing plant species. —New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025

Christians are among the demographics refusing to leave the area, instead cloistering in churches and hoping that the IDF will not attack the holy sites. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for cloister

• moister
• oyster
• royster

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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