monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmä-nə-ˌster-ē 

plural monasteries

: a house for persons under religious vows

especially : an establishment for monks

Synonyms of monastery

• cloister
• abbey

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Oh yeah, Colum has lived in a monastery under a vow of silence for 30 years. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2026

Cech will voice Shanti, a lonely 12-year-old who grew up in an isolated monastery in the Himalayas. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Nov. 2026

When speaking with locals after a session at a monastery, he was struck by their ability to maintain internal equilibrium through ancestral customs even while their surrounding infrastructure collapsed. — Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026

Instead, Markha Valley hikers typically hike from village homestay to village homestay, visiting historic monasteries and forts along the way. — Margot Bigg, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026

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

Rhymes for monastery

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

Kids Definition

monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmän-ə-ˌster-ē 

plural monasteries

: a place where a community of monks or nuns live and work

monasterial

ˌmän-ə-ˈstir-ē-əl

adjective