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

Listlessness was an occupational hazard for monks, with their long, ritualized, repetitive days. —JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025

Others possessed different functions, one of which was serving as a refuge for monks to retreat and train. —Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2025

How can a kindly, God-fearing, and ascetic novice monk compete against that? —Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025

One theory points to Buddhist monks, who would light lanterns on the 15th day of the holiday to honor Buddha—an act that evolved into a way for families to pay tribute to ancestors. —Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025

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