coenobite
/'si:nəbait/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A member of a religious order living in common: A coenobite is a person who belongs to a religious community, such as a monastery or convent, where members live together under a shared rule, sharing work, prayer, and possessions, as opposed to living as a solitary hermit.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The ancient monastery was home to dozens of coenobites who followed a strict daily schedule of prayer and manual labor.
- As a coenobite, her life was dedicated to communal worship and service within the abbey's walls.
Advanced Usage
- Coenobitic life: Refers to the communal lifestyle and system of a religious order.
- He found spiritual fulfillment in the coenobitic life, valuing the shared discipline and fellowship.
Variants and Related Words
- Cenobite: An alternative, more common spelling of "coenobite." Both spellings are correct and have the same meaning.
- Cenobitic (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of a cenobite or cenobitic life.
- The cenobitic tradition emphasizes communal living over solitary asceticism.
- Coenobitism (n): The practice or system of living as a coenobite.
- Anchorite (n): A religious recluse; a hermit. This is an antonymic concept, describing someone who lives in solitude for religious reasons, unlike a coenobite.
Synonyms
- Monk (specifically one in a communal order)
- Religious (as a noun, meaning a member of a religious order)
- Conventual
Antonyms
- Anchorite
- Hermit
- Eremite
- Recluse
Notes on Meaning
- The term is primarily used in historical and religious contexts, particularly concerning early Christian monasticism (e.g., the communities founded by St. Pachomius) and Eastern Orthodox monastic traditions.
- It distinguishes communal monasticism from eremitic (hermit) or anchoritic (solitary) forms of religious life.
Noun
- a member of a religious order living in common