coenobitical

9.9

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

adjective
/ˌsiːnəˈbɪtɪkəl/

Formal

: coenobítico

The monastery is known for its coenobitical practices, where monks live and work together in harmony.

Examples

Urged by the prior of Camaldoli to remain and take holy orders, John refused on account of his desire for a coenobitical rather than an eremitical life.

Academic text (2005)
Originally more of an institutionalized eremiticism, Vallombrosa quickly moved towards a more traditional coenobitical existence.

Academic text (2005)
Many religious communities emphasize a coenobitical lifestyle to foster collaboration and shared spirituality.
Her choice of a coenobitical life reflects her commitment to community and shared religious devotion.

Synonyms

cenobitic

vscoenobitical

Specialized

1 9.9

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

is broader and relates generally to communal practices not specific traits

cenobitical

vscoenobitical

Specialized

9.9

Relating to monks who live together in a community and share work

is the same in meaning but uses an alternate spelling form

monastical

vscoenobitical

Archaic

9.9

A quiet, simple religious life with prayer and few possessions

is narrower and focuses on communal living practices of certain religious communities

How Communal

coenobitical

Formal

9.9

communal

41 3.9

solitary

191 4.6

Surface Forms

coenobitical positive

Morphology

coenobitical = coenobite (transparent) = coenobite + ical

The adjective is directly formed from 'coenobite' with the adjectival suffix '-ical', so the relationship is a straightforward adjectival derivation.

Etymology

Coenobitical comes from the Greek roots koinos 'common' and bios 'life', so it means living a shared or communal life. Think of bio in biology for 'life' and 'common' like people who share a house and work together, which is why the word describes monks living and working together.