monk

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈməŋk 

: a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery

also : friar

monk

2 of 2

noun (2)

: monkey

Examples of monk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Barghouti has spent more than 20 years in prison and is serving five life sentences after his 2004 conviction for the murder of four Israelis and a Greek Orthodox monk during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising. —Yamiche Alcindor, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025

The nomination was supported by thousands of Cambodian Buddhist monks who took part in a peace march shortly after. —Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025

That’s not a plea to live like a monk. —Morgan Housel, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025

One of the first key players introduced is Dairon, a shadowy monk known as an Expositor voiced in the series by Ming-Na Wen (Mulan; The Mandalorian). —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Late Greek monachos, from Greek, adjective, single, from monos single, alone

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1841, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing monk

• monk parakeet
• monk's cloth
• monk seal

Rhymes for monk

• bunk
• chunk
• clunk
• drunk
• dunk
• hunk
• junk
• punk
• shrunk
• slunk
• spunk
• sunk

Kids Definition

monk

noun

ˈməŋk

: a member of a religious community made up of men who agree to give up worldly life, remain poor and unmarried, and obey all laws of their community

monkish

ˈməŋ-kish

adjective

Biographical Definition

Monk

biographical name

ˈməŋk 

Thelonious Sphere 1920–1982 American jazz musician