abbot

noun

ab·​bot ˈa-bət How to pronounce abbot (audio)
: the superior of a monastery for men

Examples of abbot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Local spats could now feed into a mass movement that spread far beyond individual disputes between a peasant and a particularly nasty abbot or lord. Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025 By the 1930s the newly emerging field of genetics was growing in popularity, based primarily on the studies of the Austrian biologist and Catholic abbot Gregor Mendel. D. Scott Schmid, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025 But in 2022 the three nuns’ lives were changed when Markus Grasl, an abbot, took over the management of the building, the Times reported. David Chiu, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025 Clarke, who was the abbot of St. Mary’s Abbey from 1975 to 1995, died in 2019. Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abbot

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abbot, abbod, going back to Old English, borrowed from Late Latin abbāt-, abbās, borrowed from Late Greek abbâs (also, a title of respect given to monks), borrowed from Aramaic abbā "father"

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abbot was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Abbot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbot. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

abbot

noun
ab·​bot ˈab-ət How to pronounce abbot (audio)
: the head of a monastery for men

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