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Glite Dictionary
cenobitical

cenobitical

9.9
Relating to monks who live together in a community and share work
  • adjective
  • /ˌsiːnəˈbɪtɪkəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cenobítico
  • The monks adhered to a cenobitical lifestyle, sharing all possessions and duties in their abbey.

Examples

  • Historically, cenobitical communities were pivotal in spreading monastic ideals across medieval Europe.

  • She devoted her thesis to the analysis of cenobitical practices among early Christian monastics.

  • The monks lived a cenobitical life.

  • The cenobitical lifestyle is unique.

  • Historically, cenobitical communities were pivotal in spreading monastic ideals across medieval Europe.

  • The monks adhered to a cenobitical lifestyle, sharing all possessions and duties in their abbey.

  • She devoted her thesis to the analysis of cenobitical practices among early Christian monastics.

Synonyms

monastic
vscenobitical
11 7.9

Relating to life in a monastery with simple rules and little contact with others

is narrower, focusing on communal practice rather than all secluded religious life
cenobitic
vscenobitical
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Living together in a religious community where members share prayer, meals, and work

is more narrowly tied to a specific named group within that tradition
coenobitical
vscenobitical
  • Formal
9.9

Describes life in a religious community where people live together and share work and worship

is the same in meaning but differs as an alternate spelling
monastical
vscenobitical
  • Archaic
9.9

A quiet, simple religious life with prayer and few possessions

is specifically about communal practice of a particular monastic group rather than general life

Antonyms

solitary
191 4.6

Being alone and not with other people or things

Surface Forms

cenobitical positive

Morphology

cenobitical = cenobite (transparent) = cenobite + ical

Formed by adding the productive adjectival suffix '-ical' to the noun 'cenobite', so the meaning 'relating to communal monastic living' is directly predictable from the base.

Etymology

Cenobitical comes from the Greek parts koinos ('common') and bios ('life'), so it literally means 'living a common life'. It describes monks who live together and share food, work and belongings, like a community, which is why cenobitical relates to that shared, communal way of living.