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

The Name of the Rose Umberto Eco, 1980 Set in a 14th-century Italian monastery, this is a wonderfully complex murder mystery. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 20 Mar. 2026

In 1150, Hildegard founded the Rupertsberg, a women’s monastery on top of a hill near the Rhineland town of Bingen. —Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026

More than 400 intellectuals and students had demonstrated against the regime in a Capuchin monastery on the outskirts of Barcelona and were surrounded by police for two days. —Colm Tóibín, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026

The Middle Ages really were an era when kings ruled in Christ’s name, when the popes of Rome commanded obedience from believers around Europe, and when monasteries played a crucial role in the shaping of values and education. —Brett Whalen, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 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
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

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