1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

nun

noun

Definition of nunnext
as in abbess

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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
  • Brazilian artist and former Carmelite monk Rodrigo Cassdied at 43 in a fatal accident yesterday on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, his gallery Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel stated on social media.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The book in question is a copy of Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, a religious tract that was translated and adapted from Latin early in the 15th century by a monk named Nicholas Love.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 16 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
  • Despite being an expert in her craft, Godshalk communicated the principles of floral design to her students in a way that was easy for novices to digest.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Sid Vicious, six months before his debut as the Sex Pistols’ new bassist, was most assuredly a novice on the drums.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of novice
Noun
  • The series starred Emma Roberts as Chanel #1, Grande as Chanel #2, Billie Lourd as Chanel #3, Abigail Breslin as Chanel #5 and Lea Michele, a group of Kappa Kappa Tau sorority sisters targeted by a killer known as the Red Devil.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That night, his mother and siblings had driven to a pharmacy to pick up his sister’s asthma medication.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of sister

Browse Nearby Words

numskulls
nun
nuncio
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nun. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of confabulate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All