monastery
gb/mˈɑnəstˌɛɹi/ us/mˈɑnəstˌɛɹi/
B2
English
~ 6600
kolostor, kolostori közösség
NOUN
B2
1
kolostor
B2
Usage pattern:
a/an [adjective] monastery
The monastery was built on a mountain overlooking the valley.
A kolostor egy, a völgyre néző hegyen épült.
Tourists can visit the monastery, but some areas are reserved for the monks.
A turisták meglátogathatják a kolostort, de bizonyos részek csak a szerzetesek számára vannak fenntartva.
After years of travel, he decided to retire to a remote monastery.
The monastery includes a church, a library, and simple rooms for the monks.
The village depends on the monastery for jobs and education.
Learner examples
The monks live in a small monastery in the hills.
A szerzetesek egy kis kolostorban élnek a dombok között.
We visited a famous monastery during our trip.
Utazásunk során meglátogattunk egy híres kolostort.
There is an old monastery near the river.
Many people come to the monastery to pray.
The monastery is quiet and peaceful.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "monastery" with "church" or "temple". A church or temple is where people go to worship, but they do not usually live there. A monastery is mainly a place where religious people live. Learners also mix up "monastery" and "convent"; in modern English, "convent" is more often for nuns, while "monastery" is more often for monks.
Meaning
building where monks live
Collocations
Buddhist monastery
|ancient monastery
|remote monastery
|live in a monastery
|enter a monastery
|visit a monastery
Synonyms
abbey (Often a large or important monastery or convent, sometimes with its own church; used especially in historical or Catholic contexts.)
|
convent (Similar type of religious house, but more commonly used for communities of nuns rather than monks.)
|
cloister (Can mean a covered walkway in a monastery, or more generally a monastic place of life; slightly more literary or architectural.)
Antonyms
city (Represents busy, secular life, which contrasts with the quiet, religious, separated life usually associated with a monastery.)
Themes
religion
|architecture
|culture
|housing
Definition
A religious house where monks or other religious people live and pray together.
A religious building where monks or other members of a monastic order live, work, and worship as a community.
NOUN
C1
2
Usage pattern:
the [adjective] monastery [verb]
The monastery voted to open a small school for local children.
A kolostori közösség megszavazta, hogy kis iskolát nyit a helyi gyerekeknek.
In winter the monastery produces cheese and honey to sell in nearby towns.
Télen a kolostori közösség sajtot készít és mézet termel, majd ezeket a közeli városokban árusítja.
The monastery welcomed the new novice with a simple ceremony.
For centuries the monastery has cared for travelers crossing the mountains.
The monastery agreed to share its water supply with the neighboring village.
Learner examples
The monastery makes bread and gives it to poor people.
A kolostori közösség kenyeret süt, és odaadja a szegényeknek.
Every day the monastery meets to pray together.
A kolostori közösség mindennap összegyűlik közös imára.
The monastery decided to help after the flood.
People in the town like the monastery and support it.
The monastery invited visitors to join the evening prayer.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "monastery" can mean both the building and the group of people who live there. When the word is used as the subject of a verb ("the monastery decided"), it usually means the community, not the physical building.
Meaning
community of monks in a monastery
Collocations
the whole monastery
|the monastery decided
|the monastery welcomed
|support the monastery
|donations to the monastery
Synonyms
religious community (A broad, neutral term for people who live a religious life together; not limited to monastic life but often used similarly.)
|
brotherhood (Emphasizes the close social and spiritual bond among male members of a religious or monastic group.)
|
order (Refers to an organized group within a church that follows a particular rule; may include multiple monasteries, not just one.)
Antonyms
laity (Refers to ordinary religious believers who are not part of a formal religious or monastic community.)
Themes
religion
|society
|relationships
Definition
All the monks or other religious people who live together in one monastery.
The group of monks or other monastic religious members who live together as a community in a particular monastery.
Grammar
Dictionary form
monastery
IPA
GB/mˈɑnəstˌɛɹi/
US/mˈɑnəstˌɛɹi/
Syllables & stress
mon - as - tery (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mon)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: monastery
- Plural: monasteries
Word family
Expressions
enter a monastery
1/ˈɛntɚ ə mˈɑnəstˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
become a monk or similar
To go and live in a monastery in order to become a monk or another kind of monastic religious person.
Examples
- After his wife died, he chose to enter a monastery and live a life of prayer.
- She surprised her family when she announced that she wanted to enter a monastery instead of going to university.
- Many young men from the village used to enter a monastery when they were in their twenties.
leave the monastery
1/lˈiv ðə mˈɑnəstˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
stop living as a monk
To stop living in a monastery and return to normal life outside the monastic community.
Examples
- He decided to leave the monastery after ten years and study medicine.
- Once you leave the monastery, it can be difficult to adjust to city life again.