nun

noun

Definition of nunnext
as in abbess

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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 nun Namgyal and his wife, Pasang, a former Buddhist nun, who hail from the Khumbu region of Nepal and live on the property with Higdon. — David Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 For that, a 12th-century Roman Catholic nun from Germany has the answer. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026 Ugboaja was released later the same day after intervention from members of Texas’ congressional delegation and public outcry over the detention of a nun wearing her habit on her way to worship. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 24 July 2026 The nun study, launched in 1990 with 678 members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, is back in focus after a 2025 scientific review reexamined what the project taught researchers about aging and dementia. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nun
  1. abbess
  2. monk
  3. prioress
  4. priestess
  5. religious
  6. friar
  7. novice
  8. sister
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
  • This might make sense for a Buddhist monk pursuing the great unbinding, but not for a random Brooklynite who just wants to be more productive at work.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Part of it is the identical outfits, a look that mixes Olsen twins with sister wives and a dash of Franciscan monk.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of monk
Noun
  • The slow-burn thriller is partially based on a 17th century ballad in which the heroic outlaw’s cousin, a malevolent prioress, bleeds the older, ailing Robin to death under the guise of the ancient medical treatment known as bloodletting.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026
  • After Robin is gravely injured, he is taken in by the sage prioress Brigid (Jodie Comer), who nurses him back to health at an island convent.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Definition of prioress
Noun
  • Additionally, costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones, who is also a Mauritian priestess, brought her expert-level knowledge of color and the spiritual culture to the costumes and set.
    — Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Women and girls in all corners of this world are accustomed to, and even expect, danger, including the priestess of Athena (Zendaya) whom Odysseus’ men behead during their sack of Troy.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026
Definition of priestess
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
  • The tour guide, a man dressed up as a friar, walks over to the small memorial site.
    — Sonjirose Chin, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The film, which is playing Out of Competition on the Lido, charts the brutality of Spanish friar Padre Enciso over the population in the 17th century.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of friar
Noun
  • Nun-novice and anti-gun violence activist Nanette, 35, has been carrying her mother’s secret for five years, not knowing whether one or both of her sisters had been entrusted with it too.
    — Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Since achieving widespread fame in 2013, Rettig has overseen gatherings that have introduced thousands of novices to toad smoking.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of novice
Noun
  • There was no need to tell his wife and sister what had happened in the courtroom.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • In order to meet 2026’s nostalgia quota, here’s a 28-years-later followup to the cult flop about margarita-loving sister witches starring Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of sister

Browse Nearby Words

numskulls
nun
nuncio
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Cite this Entry

“Nun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nun. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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