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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Religious Institutions and Roles

Monk

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/mʌŋk/nounCommon term

In religious studies & theology, monk means: A man who has left ordinary life to live under religious vows, usually in a community, devoting himself to prayer, study or meditation.

In Turkish: keşiş, rahip

How it is used

Used for Christian, Buddhist, Jain and Hindu traditions; the female equivalent is nun. Christian monks traditionally take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Buddhist monks are bhikkhus, and the monastic community is the sangha.

Example sentences

  1. Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka follow more than two hundred rules of discipline.

  2. Medieval monks copied and preserved many ancient manuscripts.

Common collocations

  • Buddhist monk
  • become a monk
  • monks and nuns
  • monastic vows
  • monasteryA building or group of buildings where a community of monks, or sometimes nuns, lives under religious vows and follows a shared rule of prayer and work.
  • asceticismA way of life of strict self-discipline in which a person gives up comfort, pleasure or possessions in pursuit of religious or spiritual goals.
  • priestA person authorized to perform sacred rituals, such as offering sacrifices or administering sacraments, in traditions such as Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity and Hinduism.
  • meditationA practice of training attention and awareness, for example by focusing on the breath, a word or an image, used in many religions for spiritual growth.

More terms: Religious Institutions and Roles

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