monk

¹ American  

[muhngk] / mʌŋk /

noun

1. (in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, especially as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

   Synonyms:

   brother

2. (in any religion) a man who is a member of a monastic order.

   a Buddhist monk.

3. Printing. a dark area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type.

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Monk ² American  

[muhngk] / mʌŋk /

noun

1. (James) Arthur Art, born 1957, U.S. football player.

2. Thelonious (Sphere), 1917–1982, U.S. jazz pianist and composer.

3. George. Monck, George.

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Monk ¹ British  

/ mʌŋk /

noun

1. Thelonious ( Sphere ) (θəˈləʊnɪəs). 1920–82, US jazz pianist and composer

2. a variant spelling of (George) Monck

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monk ² British  

/ mʌŋk /

noun

1. a male member of a religious community bound by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

2. (sometimes capital) a fancy pigeon having a bald pate and often large feathered feet

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Related Words

Monk, friar refer to members of special male groups whose lives are devoted to the service of the church, especially in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox denominations. A monk is properly a member of a monastery, under a superior; he is bound by a vow of stability, and is a co-owner of the community property of the monastery. Since the Reformation, monk and friar have been used as if they were the same. A friar is, however, strictly speaking, a member of a mendicant order, whose members are not attached to a monastery and own no community property.

Etymology

Origin of monk

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Greek monachós “hermit,” noun use of adjective: “solitary,” equivalent to món(os) “alone” + -achos adjective suffix

Explanation

A monk is a man who has dedicated his life to religion, partly by giving up some aspects of regular, worldly life. Many monks live together in a religious community. To a greater or lesser extent, a monk has chosen to leave society and devote his life to prayer and service. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, some monks pray unceasingly, while Buddhist monks often teach others, and Roman Catholic monks sing in choirs. In some cases, monks raise money for their churches by training dogs, baking bread, or even brewing beer. Originally, monk referred to men or women, though it's more common today to use nun for a woman.

Example Sentences

At Naypyidaw station, 26-year-old monk Zanaka said he was taking a train for the first time in his life.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

“He’s calm as a monk in a firefight,” Craig Renaud says, “but a cocktail party in Brooklyn is absolutely terrifying.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

And then as I say in the book, I came home and turned on the TV and saw a documentary about Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, and monastic life and the priesthood.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

Thich Nhat Hanh, another Vietnamese monk, famously wrote:

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

Both the boy and the monk twisted to look at her, startled.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Related Words

• abbot
• friar
• priest