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Glite Dictionary
Benedictine order

Benedictine order

8.9
A Roman Catholic group of religious people who live in monasteries and pray and study
  • noun
  • /ˈbɛnɪdɪkˌtin ˈɔrdər/
translation icon : orden benedictina
  • Founded in the 6th century, the Benedictine order is known for its contributions to education and culture.

Examples

  • The Benedictine order played a crucial role in preserving literature during the Middle Ages.

  • The Benedictine order emphasizes a balance of prayer, work, and study among its members.

  • He spent several years in a monastery belonging to the Benedictine order.

  • The traditions of the Benedictine order continue to influence monastic life today.

  • The Benedictine order was established by St. Benedict.

  • Many scholars belong to the Benedictine order.

  • Members of the Benedictine order dedicate their lives to liturgical worship and community service.

Synonyms

Order of Saint Benedict
vsBenedictine order
8.1

A group of Roman Catholic monks who follow Saint Benedict's rules to pray and study

is the same but uses a shorter adjectival name

Surface Forms

Benedictine order singular
Benedictine orders plural

Morphology

Benedictine + order

The phrase is directly compositional: 'Benedictine' (relating to St Benedict or members of his tradition) combined with 'order' (a religious community) yields a religious monastic order associated with Benedict. This naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows straightforward morphology, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Benedictine order comes from Benedictine (after Saint Benedict) and order meaning a group of religious people; Saint Benedict wrote a simple 'Rule' to help monks live together with prayer and work. So, Benedictine order today means a group of monks who follow his 'Rule'.