nun

1 of 2

noun (1)

: a woman belonging to a religious order
especially : one under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience
nunlike adjective

nun

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet see Alphabet Table

Examples of nun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Aircraft, ammunition belts, bolts of fabric, mine-working, kilt-making, cement-mixing, nuns, saris and American football have all been marshaled as explanations. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 The Grammy-winning artist appeared at Madrid’s Gran Vía to reveal the official album artwork, a photograph of her in nuns attire against a baby-blue backdrop. Thania Garcia, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025 Proceeds support the nuns' mission of helping those in need. Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025 According to regional councilor Massimo Sertori, the 21 nuns residing at the monastery were evacuated safely. Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nun

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English nunne, from Late Latin nonna

Noun (2)

Hebrew nūn

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1567, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nun. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

nun

noun
ˈnən
: a woman belonging to a religious order
especially : one living under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

More from Merriam-Webster on nun

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