monastic 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of monasticnext
1
as in ascetic

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2
as in conventual

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monastic

2 of 2

noun

as in monk

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of monastic
Adjective
This results in highly architectural and ornate garments and textiles built through tension, geometry, and monastic focus. — Catherine Tansey, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 June 2026 There’s something monastic about the way he’s taken on Red Lobster. — Rita Omokha, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
Noun
The Bible’s message was seen as not only informative but salvific, and the monastic who memorized its words filled his or her soul with divine wisdom. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026 Historical questions remain, however, regarding whether such practices were primarily reserved for monastics or widely practiced among laypeople. — Daniel M. Stuart, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for monastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monastic
  1. ascetic
  2. conventual
  3. monk
  4. monkish
  5. mendicant
  6. friar
  7. authoritarian
  8. religious
Adjective
  • Once inside, warm, tropical breezes flow into the hotel’s ascetic, nevertheless grand lobby, wafting you towards a magical cloister filled with plants and robust Botero sculptures.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2026
  • Grothendieck was intense and ascetic from his early days.
    — Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 20 May 2026
Definition of ascetic
Adjective
  • Martin entered the Conventual Franciscan Friars Novitiate in Ellicott City at age 17 after graduating from Curley.
    — Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2024
  • But degraded conventual forces could drive Putin to other means of exerting force.
    — Matt Seyler, ABC News, 10 May 2022
Definition of conventual
Noun
  • Ryushin, the Buddhist monk at the center of Crows Are White was keeping his identity private until completing his monastic training.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 July 2026
  • Yet his truest education came from the palace sweepers—the humble monk-servants who raised him.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026
Definition of monk
Adjective
  • Often made by anonymous rappers and producers with a monkish dedication to their craft, this isn’t rap for the live show but for the headphones, music where every muttered word and barely-there snare matters.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
  • Designed with the neighboring 12th-century Abbaye de Sénaque in mind, the monkish minimalism—polished dark wood, long, bone-white corridors—add to the unique quality of this attractive space.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
Definition of monkish
Adjective
  • One was that literary journalism anthology the mendicant had flipped through.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
  • The first mendicant orders, like the Franciscans and Dominicans, received papal approval in the early 13th century.
    — Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
Definition of mendicant
Noun
  • Fra Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, who was a medieval Italian Franciscan friar and explorer in 1244 went to Mongolia [as a papal ambassador].
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 June 2026
  • The storied residence was first commissioned in 1712 by Anna Gravina, Princess of Gravina and Valguarnera, and it's also attributed to Dominican friar and architect Tommaso Maria Napoli.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Definition of friar
Adjective
  • Still, the dominant message from the hearing was that Maduro’s removal has not, by itself, dismantled the authoritarian system that sustained his rule.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • But in the past 20 years, Cuba’s more progressive social policies have helped to redeem the authoritarian excesses of the revolution’s early years.
    — Juan Carlos Albarran, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Adjective
  • Patron saints of emergency responders, these religious figures were supposed to be unveiled at the police and fire headquarters.
    — Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2026
  • There are no longer religious figures like Billy Graham who serve as the unofficial spokespeople for American Christianity.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026
Definition of religious

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Cite this Entry

“Monastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monastic. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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