noun ·5 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote one's life to spiritual work. countable, uncountable
2. 2
   asceticism as a form of religious life; usually conducted in a community under a common rule and characterized by celibacy and poverty and obedience wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

monachismabstinencealbigensianismanchoritic monasticismanchoritismasceticism

Example

More examples

"Indeed monasticism was becoming popular, and the Merovingian period witnessed the foundation of numberless cloisters."

Etymology

From monastic (“relating to monks”) + -ism.

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