monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmä-nə-ˌster-ē 

plural monasteries

: a house for persons under religious vows

especially : an establishment for monks

Synonyms

• cloister
• abbey

Examples of monastery in a Sentence

Gregory Mendel worked out his concepts of genetics by doing breeding experiments using pea plants in the monastery's garden.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jeff Bezos was set to celebrate his lavish wedding to Lauren Sánchez at the Fondazione Cini, a cultural institution on the island which occupies a large part of a Benedictine monastery established there in 982 A.D. —Max Norman, New Yorker, 27 June 2025

But other outlets, including CNN and The Hollywood Reporter, report that the couple may get married on the private island of San Giorgio Maggiore, specifically in a monastery there. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 23 June 2025

The stateside monastery has a Gallic feel—the cloister was imported from France, for instance—but offers panoramic vistas of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 20 June 2025

Eugenia, raised pagan, joined a monastery to learn more about Christianity and later became abbot. —Sarah Barringer, The Conversation, 27 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English monasterie, from Late Latin monasterium, from Late Greek monastērion, from Greek, hermit's cell, from monazein to live alone, from monos single — more at monk

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for monastery

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmän-ə-ˌster-ē 

plural monasteries

: a place where a community of monks or nuns live and work

monasterial

ˌmän-ə-ˈstir-ē-əl

adjective