What does "nun" mean?
A member of a Christian religious community of women who live by certain vows and usually wear a habit, (Roman Catholicism, specifically) those living together in a cloister.
Nun
/nʌn/ name, noun, pron, slang
name, noun, pron, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A member of a Christian religious community of women who live by certain vows and usually wear a habit, (Roman Catholicism, specifically) those living together in a cloister.
- Grammar: nun is listed as name, noun, pron, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abbess, alphabetic character, benedictine, canoness.
- Useful contrasts: oblate, beguine, brother.
- Usage evidence: Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun who lived and worked in Calcutta, India.
How to use "nun"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nun" 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 "nun" 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 "nun" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nun" 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 "nun" is acting as name, noun, pron, 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 "abbess" 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 "nun", 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 member of a Christian religious community of women who live by certain vows and usually wear a habit, (Roman Catholicism, specifically) those living together in a cloister.
"Thus, when the nuns came to the mission and we saw that instead of murmuring soft blessings and gliding seraphically over the grass in diaphanous habits, they wore smart blouses and skirts and walked, laughed and talked in low twanging tones very much like our own American missionaries did, we were very disappointed."
- 2 The fourteenth letter of many Semitic alphabets or abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).
- 3 the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet wordnet
- 4 A member of a similar female community in other confessions. broadly
"a Buddhist nun"
- 5 a buoy resembling a cone wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A prostitute. British, archaic, slang
"Why laſt night, as Colonel Kill'em, Sir William Weezy, Lord Frederick Foretop, and I were careleſsly ſliding the Ranelagh round, picking our teeth, after a damn'd muzzy dinner at Boodle's, who ſhould trip by but an abbeſs, well known about town, with a ſmart little nun in her ſuite."
- 7 a woman religious wordnet
- 8 A kind of pigeon with the feathers on its head like the hood of a nun.
Pronoun
- 1 Pronunciation spelling of nothing. alt-of, pronunciation-spelling
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name from Hebrew. rare
"And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses."
- 2 The languages of the Bamun people of western Cameroon.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun who lived and worked in Calcutta, India."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nun"?
Common synonyms include: abbess, alphabetic character, benedictine, canoness, carmelite, celibataire.
How do you use "nun" in a sentence?
Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun who lived and worked in Calcutta, India.
How do you pronounce "nun"?
Pronounced /nʌn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English nonne, nunne, from Old English nunne (“nun”), from Late Latin nonna (“nun, tutor”), originally (along with masculine form nonnus (“man”)) a term of address for elderly persons, perhaps from children's speech, reminiscent of nana, like papa etc. Doublet of nonna.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from the letter’s name in the respective language. Doublet of nu.
Etymology 3
From Hebrew.