convent

[ kon-vent, -vuhnt ]

noun

1. a community of persons devoted to religious life under a superior.

   Synonyms: priory, abbey

2. a society or association of monks, friars, or nuns: now usually used of a society of nuns.
3. the building or buildings occupied by such a society; a monastery or nunnery.

   Synonyms: cloister

4. Obsolete. assembly; meeting.

convent

/ ˈkɒnvənt /

noun

1. a building inhabited by a religious community, usually of nuns
2. the religious community inhabiting such a building
3. Also calledconvent school a school in which the teachers are nuns

convent

1. A community of people in a religious order , especially nuns .

Word History and Origins

Origin of convent¹

1175–1225; < Medieval Latin conventus; Latin: assembly, coming together, equivalent to conven ( īre ) ( convene ) + -tus suffix of v. action; replacing Middle English covent < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of convent¹

C13: from Old French covent, from Latin conventus meeting, from convenīre to come together; see convene

Example Sentences

The most fascinating is the complex compositional analysis of the figures in Leonardo’s second most famous painting, “The Last Supper,” that vast fresco in a communal dining room of a Dominican convent in Milan.

From Los Angeles Times

“The root of it is still quite traditional and patriarchal in that these powerful women have to be sequestered from men and are essentially living in a convent,” Williams says.

From Los Angeles Times

His character, who is a father of five daughters, comes across a girl who is locked away at a convent and the story continues from there.

From BBC

Lawrence Bishnoi himself attended a convent school, riding his own bike by the eighth grade and wearing expensive shoes - luxuries unheard of for most.

From BBC

Charlotte Woods' novel is about a middle-aged woman who retreats from the world to a convent in New South Wales.

From BBC