monk

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈməŋk 

: a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery

also : friar

monk

2 of 2

noun (2)

: monkey

Examples of monk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The monks were sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation. —CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026

The hoods might just as well evoke the garb of Christian monks debating whether the soul is distinct from the body. —Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026

Food and drink This is a major part of the Shakti experience, with Chef Yeshi, a Tibetan former monk, as the star and visiting celebrity chefs such as Mansi Seth Kapoor and Christine Mansfield bringing in other gastronomic influences from around the world. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

The Current Popularity of Wabi-Sabi, Explained Originating from 16th-century Zen Buddhist Japanese monks, wabi-sabi philosophy embraces fluidity, imperfection, and simplicity. —Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Late Greek monachos, from Greek, adjective, single, from monos single, alone

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1841, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing monk

• monk parakeet
• monk's cloth
• monk seal

Rhymes for monk

• bunk
• chunk
• clunk
• drunk
• dunk
• hunk
• junk
• punk
• shrunk
• slunk
• spunk
• sunk

Kids Definition

monk

noun

ˈməŋk

: a member of a religious community made up of men who agree to give up worldly life, remain poor and unmarried, and obey all laws of their community

monkish

ˈməŋ-kish

adjective

Biographical Definition

Monk

biographical name

ˈməŋk 

Thelonious Sphere 1920–1982 American jazz musician