abbess

Definition of abbessnext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abbess The 12th-century abbess, composer, philosopher, and visionary becomes a thrilling subject when backed by modular synths, Ukrainian folk singing, and high medieval music. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025 When the abbess died in 866, she was buried in the abbey church. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Groff imagined the poet Marie de France as a teenager forced to venture into the dark woods to serve as the abbess. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023 One of them was the abbess of a female religious community in Kent from around 733 to 761 CE, which is consistent with the dating of MS Selden Supra 30. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for abbess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abbess
Noun
  • After Robin is gravely injured, he is taken in by the sage prioress Brigid (Jodie Comer), who nurses him back to health at an island convent.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 June 2026
  • Marie, who becomes the prioress of the abbey at 17, begins a rise to power — or as much power as a woman is permitted — using her fellow nuns to fight off political and violent incursions.
    Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • In Disclosure Day, Jane’s worrying is curious, coming from someone who meant to become a nun.
    Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 18 June 2026
  • And these encouraging words that my nun gave me actually started the trajectory of my entire life.
    Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • In the medieval church, women’s roles were limited – usually some form of enclosure and celibacy, such as becoming an anchoress walled up alone for life, or a nun in a classic convent.
    Joelle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Louise, a former anchoress, is her humble, tyrannical maid.
    Hervé Guibert, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • This makes these spots good for young anglers and novices as well as those with mobility challenges.
    Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2026
  • Democrats in Maine, meanwhile, have nominated Graham Platner, a political novice whose grassroots campaign and brash communication style propelled him to a decisive victory over the state’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, who remained on the ballot but suspended her campaign in April.
    Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • Once a year, Akagawa takes the letters to a nearby Buddhist temple, where a monk prays over them.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
  • The award-winning scholar was the first American ordained as a monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition after studying under the 14th Dalai Lama, close friend Tenzin Gyatso, as noted in a 1996 New York Times profile.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Noun
  • Centuries ago, people throughout the Mediterranean region came to consult it via the Pythia or priestess to see what the Greek god Apollo had to say about their future.
    Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
  • The priestess worked only during days in which Apollo was believed to be present at Delphi to channel his wisdom to the Pythia.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras.
    Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
Noun
  • The court found that Shi used his positions, including as the temple abbot, to illegally embezzle more than $19 million alone or in conspiracy with others, between 2003 and 2025, CCTV reported.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
  • According to a relative of Nathan who provided some of the sources Amit studied, the abbot reportedly also wrote letters to the Vatican and to monasteries in Switzerland pleading for a safe exit for Wolfgang.
    Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Abbess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abbess. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

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