monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmä-nə-ˌster-ē How to pronounce monastery (audio)
plural monasteries
Synonyms of monasterynext
: a house for persons under religious vows
especially : an establishment for monks

Synonyms of monastery

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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.
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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.
Later that year, or possibly in 1296, the Benedictine monastery in Břevnov, west of Prague, bought it back into Benedictine hands from the Sedlec monastery. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026 In the early twentieth century, the French Symbolist artist Odilon Redon painted a series of decorative panels for the Fontfroide Abbey, an eleventh-century former monastery in the South of France. — News Desk, Artforum, 27 Oct. 2026 Historically, such spaces were often features of religious buildings around the world including monasteries and convents, keeping animals out and fresh water, herbs, vegetables, and flowers safely inside. — Michael James Gardner, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2026 For more than a century, a suite of murals by Symbolist painter Odilon Redon have decorated the library of the Abbaye de Fontfroide, an 11th-century former monastery in the South of France. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for monastery

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of monastery was in the 15th century

Rhymes for monastery

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Browse Nearby Words

monasterial
monastery
monastic
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Cite this Entry

“Monastery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monastery. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

monastery

noun
mon·​as·​tery ˈmän-ə-ˌster-ē How to pronounce monastery (audio)
plural monasteries
: a place where a community of monks or nuns live and work
monasterial
ˌmän-ə-ˈstir-ē-əl
adjective
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