variants
or ancress
as in prioress
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Recent Examples of anchoress
In the medieval church, women’s roles were limited – usually some form of enclosure and celibacy, such as becoming an anchoress walled up alone for life, or a nun in a classic convent.
—
Joelle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
Louise, a former anchoress, is her humble, tyrannical maid.
—Hervé Guibert, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024
Some of the spotlighted individuals, like St. Catherine of Siena and English anchoress Julian of Norwich, were celebrated in their day as visionaries, while others, including Kempe and Joan of Arc, were persecuted as heretics.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Joelle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
Louise, a former anchoress, is her humble, tyrannical maid.
—Hervé Guibert, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024
Some of the spotlighted individuals, like St. Catherine of Siena and English anchoress Julian of Norwich, were celebrated in their day as visionaries, while others, including Kempe and Joan of Arc, were persecuted as heretics.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anchoress
Noun
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Matrix by Lauren Groff Currents of violence and devotion coalesce around Marie de France, a 17-year-old sent to be the new prioress of a 12th-century English abbey.—
Mia Barzilay Freund,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
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In response, the diocese said in a statement that the Holy See has acted toward healing the Arlington Carmel and the nuns in the community and not simply the former prioress and her former councilors.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2024
Noun
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Hildegard von Bingen, a Benedictine abbess and eventual saint, lived in the Middle Ages, when women’s lives were severely restricted.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
2 June 2025
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The 12th-century abbess, composer, philosopher, and visionary becomes a thrilling subject when backed by modular synths, Ukrainian folk singing, and high medieval music.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
30 May 2025
Noun
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As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras.—
Laura Rodríguez Presa,
chicagotribune.com,
11 Sep. 2020
Noun
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The Buddhist nun and chef Jeong Kwan buried pots of kimchi in the ground, to be opened only when the Biennale ends.—
Dada Jovanovic,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
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However, Ainara feels increasingly closer to God and is considering embracing the life of a cloistered nun.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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The British monk Pelagius taught that humans could reach salvation unaided, by sheer moral effort.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Explore medieval monastic ruins on Innisfallen Island, and immerse yourself in ancient silence.—
Andrea Bussell,
Travel + Leisure,
7 July 2025
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While the Thai Buddhism depicted in The White Lotus is not completely realistic, there are several authentic ways to engage deeply with Buddhism, ranging from offering donations to short meditation retreats to ordination as a monastic.—
Brooke Schedneck,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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When Las Casas first landed in Hispaniola (today divided by Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east), his head was already crowned with a friar’s tonsure.—
Greg Grandin
September 23,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
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The Mission grape, the Spanish Crown, the Franciscan friars and Indigenous people built California missions and laid the groundwork for California’s world-class wine industry.—
Layne Randolph,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The blind spots of breakthrough technologies Like most of his peers, Farley sees AI’s potential for everything from improving warranty processes to training novice technicians to repair complex engines.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The novice user will rely on a single, default tool.—
Marco Argenti,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anchoress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anchoress. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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