The nuns went up to the cloister.
Source: tatoeba (8851141)
Cloister
/ˈklɔɪstə/
Synonyms for "cloister" (167 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (34)
Strong matches (50)
colonnadecommunicationconduitconfessionalconfessionaryconfineconnectionconstrainconventcoopcoop incoop upcorkcork upcorridorcovered waycrampcribcryptdefile
Related words (83)
hold in restraintholy of holieshouseimmureimpoundinhibitinletinterchangeintersectionivory towerjunctionkeepkeep inkeep in custodykeep in detentionlairlamaserylaneloggiamew
Show 49 more words
mew upmonasterynavenunneryopeningoutletoverpasspasspassagepassagewaypenpen uppergolaperistyleporchporticopoundpresbyterypriorateprioryprivacyrailrail inrailroad tunnelrecessrestrainrestrictretreatrood loftrood stairrood towersacrariumsacristysanctumsanctum sanctorumseal upsecret placeshackleshut inshut upstraitentrajecttrajettransepttriforiumtunnelunderpassvestrywall in
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abbey, access, adytum, aisle, alley.
- Sentence evidence is available for cloister, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "cloister".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "cloister"
Keep "cloister" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "cloister" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "cloister", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "cloister" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
20 entriesShowing 16 of 20 words.
More specific
6 entriesCollocations
10 entriescloister awaycloister gatecloister incloister oneselfcloister walkcloister wallcloistered courtyardcloistered lifecloistering oneselfmonastic cloister
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
5 entriesTranslations
30 translations across 21 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- покри́та арка́да noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Catalan
1 entries- claustre noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 迴廊 /回廊 noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Dutch
2 entries- kloostergang noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
- kruisgang noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Esperanto
1 entries- klostro noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
French
1 entries- cloître noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Galician
2 entries- caustra noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
- claustro noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
German
2 entries- Chrüüzgang noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
- Kreuzgang noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Greek
1 entries- περιστύλιο noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Hungarian
1 entries- kerengő noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Italian
1 entries- chiostro noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Japanese
1 entries- 回廊 noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Polish
1 entries- krużganek noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Portuguese
1 entries- claustro noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Romanian
2 entries- arcadă noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
- claustru noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Russian
3 entries- клуа́тр noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
- кры́тая арка́да noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
- кры́тая галере́я noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- klaustar noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
- клаустар noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Spanish
3 entries- claustro noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
- enceldar verb ((''transitive''))
- enclaustrar verb ((''transitive''))
Swedish
1 entries- korsgång noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Turkish
1 entries- kemer avlu noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Ukrainian
1 entries- клуа́тр noun (covered walk with an open colonnade)
Sample sentences
5 total sentences available.
What's the difference between a cloister and a church?
Source: tatoeba (10485506)
Mr. Pye crossed the nave, and quitted the cathedral by the cloister door, followed by the choristers.
Source: tatoeba (11849957)
The architect cloistered the college just like the monastery which founded it.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 5 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "cloister"?
Closest matches include abbey, access, adytum, aisle, alley.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "cloister"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.