nun

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈnən 

: a woman belonging to a religious order

especially : one under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

nunlike

ˈnən-ˌlīk 

adjective

nun

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈnu̇n 

: the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet see Alphabet Table

Examples of nun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The backstory Born holy to an order of Franciscan nuns, this 15th-century building settled into private hands before its 1993 reincarnation as Four Seasons’ first continental European outpost. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 June 2026

Winfrey pointed to her own childhood in Mississippi as formative in her desire to provide for the audience, recalling a Christmas when her family had no presents before nuns turned up to her house with gifts. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 June 2026

Take a look at how these nuns help each other. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 June 2026

As the head of a religious island community that stresses forgiveness, Sister Brigid comes dangerously close to adopting the treacherous nun persona from the source material. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English nunne, from Late Latin nonna

Noun (2)

Hebrew nūn

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1567, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nun

• bun
• done
• dun
• fun
• gun
• hun
• jun
• none
• one
• pun
• run
• shun

Kids Definition

nun

noun

ˈnən

: a woman belonging to a religious order

especially : one living under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience