Cistercian

//sɪsˈtɜː(ɹ)ʃən// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A member of a monastic order which follows the Benedictine rule and emphasizes silent contemplative prayer.
  2. 2
    member of an order of monks noted for austerity and a vow of silence wordnet
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Cistercian Order and its members.

    "At some unknown point during the twelfth century the problem of waking up at night at the right time to ring the bell was solved, because, in a new version of the Rule for Cistercian monks, it says that the sacrist 'roused by the sound of the clock shall ring the church bell'."

Synonyms

All synonyms
benedictinebernardinedominicanfranciscanjesuittrappist

Example

More examples

"The symbolism behind this Cistercian chapel's sculptural motifs is still not completely understood."

Etymology

From French cistercien, from Latin Cistercium (“Cîteaux”), after the place where the order was founded.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.