abbey

noun

ˈa-bē How to pronounce abbey (audio)
Definition of abbeynext
as in monastery
a residence for men under religious vows the monks in the abbey grow all their own vegetables

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 abbey Marie painstakingly builds the abbey into a regional power center to which notables must pay their respects. — David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026 The abbey connection would take 10 to 15 years to implement, the report states. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 The Abbazia di San Fruttuoso, a 10th-century abbey complex owned for centuries by the Dorias, a powerful Genoa family, dominates the cove setting. — Catherine Sabino, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Robert de Molesme founded the Cistercian order at an abbey some 20 miles away from Meursault, the small village where the new hotel is located, in 1098. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abbey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abbey
  1. monastery
  2. cloister
Noun
  • Buddhists offer kathin robes to monks who have remained in their monasteries throughout the three-month retreat in the rainy season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Variations on this legend suggest that the monk had broken his monastic vows, that the creation of the book in a single night was a deal offered by the monastery’s abbot, and that the book was intended to glorify his monastery.
    — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of monastery
Noun
  • The Suite Del Priore – named for its setting in the old priory – has original frescoes and cloister views; the Suite Dell’Eremita has its own lemon grove.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The town served as a Genoese naval outpost during the medieval rivalry with Pisa, and the hotel’s arched colonnades of the original cloister still stand atop rooms that face Palmaria Island or the Gulf itself.
    — Jason Phillips, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of cloister

Browse Nearby Words

abbesses
abbey
abbeys
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abbey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abbey. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on abbey

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about abbey

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of boilerplate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All