abbess

noun

ab·​bess ˈa-bəs How to pronounce abbess (audio)
Synonyms of abbessnext
: a woman who is the superior of a convent of nuns

Examples of abbess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 Hildegard was a Catholic abbess of the Benedictine Order. — Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026 That makes the abbess a likely candidate for the author of the inscription and marginal doodles. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for abbess

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abbesse, borrowed from Anglo-French abbesse, abeiesse, borrowed from Late Latin abbātissa, feminine derivative of abbāt-, abbās abbot

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abbess was in the 14th century

Rhymes for abbess

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Browse Nearby Words

Abbe refractometer
abbess
abbetdin
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Cite this Entry

“Abbess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbess. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

abbess

noun
ab·​bess ˈab-əs How to pronounce abbess (audio)
: the head of a convent of nuns

More from Merriam-Webster on abbess

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for abbess

Nglish: Translation of abbess for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about abbess

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