abbey

noun

ab·​bey ˈa-bē 

plural abbeys

1

a

: a monastery ruled by an abbot

b

: a convent ruled by an abbess

2

: an abbey church

Synonyms of abbey

• monastery
• cloister

Examples of abbey in a Sentence

the monks in the abbey grow all their own vegetables

Recent Examples on the Web

He was accused of sending threatening emails to the abbey at 27977 Silverado Canyon Road, Manley said. —City News Service, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026

On his arrival at the meeting venue at a historic 12-century abbey in Vaux-de-Cerney outside of Paris, Rubio posed for a group photo with his fellow foreign ministers but none of them spoke. —Sean Nevin, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026

Wood’s later novel, Stone Yard Devotional, features another band of women in a remote location—nuns working to keep their abbey afloat, cut off from the world because of the coronavirus pandemic. —Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026

The waterfall was acquired by Mount Angel Abbey in 1908 and transferred to The Abbey Foundation of Oregon, a nonprofit that supports the abbey, in 2002, according to Amanda Staggenborg, the foundation’s communications director. —ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abbeye, abbay, borrowed from Anglo-French abeie, abbaye, borrowed from Medieval Latin abbātia "abbacy, abbey," from Late Latin abbāt-, abbās abbot + Latin -ia -y entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for abbey

• abbe
• cabbie
• cabby
• flabby
• gabby
• gaby
• scabby
• shabby
• tabby

Kids Definition

abbey

noun

ab·​bey ˈab-ē 

plural abbeys

1

a

: monastery

b

: convent

2

: a church that once belonged to an abbey

Westminster Abbey

Biographical Definition

Abbey

biographical name

Ab·​bey ˈa-bē 

Edwin Austin 1852–1911 American painter and illustrator