abbey
gb/ˈæbi/ us/ˈæbi/
B1
English
~ 4800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Monastery or convent with a church
A large church with buildings where monks or nuns live and work.
Usage pattern:
[an/ the] abbey
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'abbey' with 'cathedral', but a cathedral is the main church of a bishop, while an abbey is linked to a monastic community.
Synonyms
monastery (General term for a community where monks live; not always with a large church.)
|
convent (Used mainly for communities of nuns; may be smaller than an abbey.)
Antonyms
secular building (A building not used for religious purposes.)
Collocations
medieval abbey
|Benedictine abbey
|ruined abbey
|visit the abbey
|abbey church
Themes
religion
|architecture
|history
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The tourists visited the old abbey on the hill.
- Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous churches in England.
- The abbey was founded in the 12th century by Cistercian monks.
- After the fire, only the abbey church remained standing.
Learner examples
- We went to see the abbey in the town.
- Many monks live in the abbey.
- The abbey is very old.
- The abbey has a big church.
Grammar
Expressions
Westminster Abbey
1/wˌɛstmˈɪnstɚ ˈæbi/
fixed phrase
Famous Gothic church in London
A large, famous church in London where kings and queens are crowned and buried.
Examples
- We took a tour of Westminster Abbey during our trip to London.
- The wedding was held at Westminster Abbey.