monastery

noun

mon·​as·​tery ˈmä-nə-ˌster-ē 

plural monasteries

: a house for persons under religious vows

especially : an establishment for monks

Synonyms

• 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

After more or less abandoning philosophy at the end of the First World War, Ludwig trained to be an elementary-school teacher, spent time as a gardener’s assistant in a monastery, and then taught in small towns in rural Austria. —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

The monastery is central to the story, and its elder—named Zosima in the novel—comforts a woman who has lost her child, aged two years and nine months, with words that echo those uttered by Ambrose. —Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025

The path of Les Feixades is around three miles long and links the Salnitre caves in Collbato with the Montserrat monastery. —Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025

While searching the area around the monastery, researchers climbed some rock formations and found dozens of unfamiliar-looking millipedes with colorful legs, the study said. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025

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