Meaning & use

monk

noun·Academic

A man who has devoted his life to religious service, typically living in a monastery under vows such as poverty and obedience.

See it in a sentence

The monk woke before dawn each day to pray in the quiet chapel.

Buddhist monks in the village relied on donated food from local families.

A note on using this word

Monk generally refers to men living a communal religious life; the equivalent term for women is 'nun.'

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “monk”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.