monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmä-nə-ˌster-ē 

plural monasteries

: a house for persons under religious vows

especially : an establishment for monks

Synonyms

• abbey
• cloister
• friary
• hermitage
• priory

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

Founded in 1397 for hermit friars who had dedicated their life to St. Augustine, the monastery has been under the custodial care of the Augustinian order for centuries. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025

The monastery Mariazell owned the property, and Enea had to present his vision directly to the nuns, who had never considered leasing the land for such a purpose. —Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

These meteorological records come from a variety of sources, including monastery registers, calendars, and travel notes from diplomats, missionaries, and monks. —Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2025

In Thailand, where temples, shrines and monasteries abound, the thing that most of our characters lack is spiritual wholeness, with only Piper arriving thinking that Buddhism might hold the answers. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 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