vihara

noun

Definition of viharanext
as in ashram

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vihara
  1. ashram
  2. monastery
  3. lamasery
  4. cloister
Noun
  • Many of India’s ashrams, clinics, and retreats offer strict fasts (separately from panchakarma programs) alongside spiritual guidance.
    — Jane Alexander, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 May 2026
  • This part of the Indian Himalayas is especially important for pilgrims seeking spiritual retreats, most famously at the Kainchi Dham ashram, where Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg spent time.
    — Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of ashram
Noun
  • The exhumations took place at the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain, a nearly 700-year-old Gothic monastery founded by Queen Elisenda of Montcada.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • The film follows filmmaker Ahsen Nadeem’s attempt to document one of Japan’s most secretive Buddhist monasteries.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 July 2026
Definition of monastery
Noun
  • His sister is a smart square peg who took off running at the end of Season 3; in the new season, the family is trying to find her, a trip that takes them to a Tibetan lamasery, down South American rivers and onto a Japanese game show.
    — Robert Lloyd, latimes.com, 8 July 2019
Definition of lamasery
Noun
  • The town served as a Genoese naval outpost during the medieval rivalry with Pisa, and the hotel’s arched colonnades of the original cloister still stand atop rooms that face Palmaria Island or the Gulf itself.
    — Jason Phillips, USA Today, 22 July 2026
  • The cathedral, its peaceful cloister, and its ornate crypt are also worth a visit.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026
Definition of cloister
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.

Browse Nearby Words

vigorousness
vihara
viharas
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vihara.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vihara. Accessed 29 Jul. 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 inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All