What does "monk" mean?
A male member of a monastic order who has devoted his life for religious service.
Monk
/mʌŋk/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A male member of a monastic order who has devoted his life for religious service.
- Grammar: monk is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abbacomes, abbot, alcuin, ape.
- Useful contrasts: oblate, beguine, dissipator.
- Usage evidence: What? A little soup and celery is all I get? I'm not a Zen monk. I can't survive on an austerity diet like this.
How to use "monk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "monk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "monk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "monk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "monk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "monk" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abbacomes" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "monk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A male member of a monastic order who has devoted his life for religious service.
"This is believed to be the completeſt liſt of this voluminous, proſaick, and driveling monk, that can be formed, without acceſs, at leaſt, to every manuſcript library in the kingdom, which would be very difficult, if not imposſible, to obtain."
- 2 A monkey. colloquial
"‘We wuz talkin’ and the monk got loose, and she sent me off to catch him.’"
- 3 a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work wordnet
- 4 In earlier usage, an eremite or hermit devoted to solitude, as opposed to a cenobite, who lived communally.
"Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, while in the case of monk and crusader there must have been a sustaining purpose, and possibly a great abnegation, a leaving of lands and possessions.”"
- 5 Someone who leads an isolated life; a loner, a hermit. slang
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 An unmarried man who does not have sexual relationships. slang
- 7 A judge. slang
- 8 An inkblot. archaic
- 9 A South American monkey (Pithecia monachus); also applied to other species, as Cebus xanthosternos.
- 10 The bullfinch, common bullfinch, European bullfinch, or Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula).
- 11 The monkfish.
- 12 A fuse for firing mines. historical
Verb
- 1 To be a monk.
""Ah!" she cried, "thou art the prettiest little monk that ever monked it in this blessed, amorous town of Constance!""
- 2 To act like a monk; especially to be contemplative.
"Many a scholar, making wings of candlewicks to flap away old darkness, monked his life to fasting long while feasting upon new light."
- 3 To monkey or meddle; to behave in a manner that is not systematic.
"The Avatar spoke gently as she responded to his jibe. "Now fucking get aboard and stop monking on like a schoolboy, you silly earplug."
- 4 To be intoxicated or confused.
"I looked up from the thick cotton mat, unsure where my legs were. “She looks monked up.” “maybe her brain is damaged, huh, miss Bryant?”"
- 5 To attach so that it sticks out. transitive
"Molten roofing north, lead dripping down south, stand like those immobilized columns of arctic water west, stalagmites, monked and housed or stamped and dudleyed east, in school texts."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"What? A little soup and celery is all I get? I'm not a Zen monk. I can't survive on an austerity diet like this."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "monk"?
Common synonyms include: abbacomes, abbot, alcuin, ape, ascetic, ascetic.
How do you use "monk" in a sentence?
What? A little soup and celery is all I get? I'm not a Zen monk. I can't survive on an austerity diet like this.
How do you pronounce "monk"?
Pronounced /mʌŋk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English monk, from Old English munuc, from Proto-West Germanic *munik, from Late Latin monicus, variant of monachus, from Ancient Greek μοναχός (monakhós, “single, solitary”), from μόνος (mónos, “alone”).
Etymology 2
By shortening.