cloistress

noun

Definition of cloistressnext
obsolete
as in mother superior

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloistress
  1. mother superior
  2. Reverend Mother
  3. religious
  4. novice
  5. high priestess
  6. anchoress
  7. abbess
  8. nun
Noun
  • Wind your way through halls reminiscent of cloisters to dine with mountainous river views, sip cocktails in the bar that was once the office of the Mother Superior, or relax with a massage at the on-site spa.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 May 2026
  • Last year, Watson nabbed the Berlin Silver Bear best supporting performance award for her captivating portrayal of the formidable Mother Superior of the Magdalene Laundries in Tim Mielants’ Small Things Like These.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
Definition of mother superior
Noun
  • What a theft of life and talent, and what a waste of care, quick-wittedness, and capability by Reverend Mother Constance.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Wiest will play the Reverend Mother Constance Mary Cabot, who is responsible for keeping her convent running and keeping the sisters safe in episode 7.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of Reverend Mother
Noun
  • As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras.
    — Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
Definition of religious
Noun
  • By July, morale among immigration officers had dipped below its nadir during the Biden Administration, with agents now complaining of being overextended, inundated with novice recruits, and undermined by inflammatory rhetoric from on high.
    — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Thomas was a novice attorney who had already run and lost as the Republican candidate for state attorney general.
    — Michael Kiefer, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of novice
Noun
  • Miranda Priestly, the high priestess of not only the fashion industry, but of all media, the exact industry Andy came to New York to work in.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Enheduanna, a high priestess from Sumer who is credited with being the first person to sign her work, seems to be a fitting obsession for a writer who knows the stakes of authorship.
    — Andrea Valdez, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of high priestess
Noun
  • 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
Definition of anchoress
Noun
  • Hildegard was a Catholic abbess of the Benedictine Order.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Now, thanks to a greater emphasis on women’s education in recent years, Tibetan Buddhist nuns are increasingly becoming teachers and abbesses.
    — Darcie Price-Wallace, The Conversation, 26 Sep. 2025
Definition of abbess
Noun
  • Per People, Madonna—perhaps appropriately—chose to go as the Weeping Madonna statue, and Morris was dressed as a nun.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Another at the same party went as Rihanna as a nun for an Interview magazine cover.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of nun
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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cloisters
cloistress
cloistresses
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Cite this Entry

“Cloistress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloistress. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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