anchoress

noun

variants or ancress
Definition of anchoressnext
as in prioress

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anchoress In the medieval church, women’s roles were limited – usually some form of enclosure and celibacy, such as becoming an anchoress walled up alone for life, or a nun in a classic convent. — Joelle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anchoress
  1. prioress
  2. abbess
  3. religious
  4. nun
  5. monk
  6. monastic
  7. friar
  8. novice
Noun
  • The slow-burn thriller is partially based on a 17th century ballad in which the heroic outlaw’s cousin, a malevolent prioress, bleeds the older, ailing Robin to death under the guise of the ancient medical treatment known as bloodletting.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026
  • After Robin is gravely injured, he is taken in by the sage prioress Brigid (Jodie Comer), who nurses him back to health at an island convent.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Definition of prioress
Noun
  • Hildegard was a Catholic abbess of the Benedictine Order.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Now, thanks to a greater emphasis on women’s education in recent years, Tibetan Buddhist nuns are increasingly becoming teachers and abbesses.
    — Darcie Price-Wallace, The Conversation, 26 Sep. 2025
Definition of abbess
Noun
  • As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras.
    — Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
Definition of religious
Noun
  • She was named by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person last year, after Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas died at the age of 116.
    — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • On this special night, a nun threw out the first pitch, the fans donned pope hats and Sox home-run hitters paraded down the dugout in pope hats.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of nun
Noun
  • Reverend Adachi appeared to give us an introduction, in Japanese and English, to a day in the life of a training monk.
    — Pico Iyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The monk-to-entrepreneur pipeline has shocked some of his fans and followers who say making $21 million a year is antithetical to a monk lifestyle.
    — Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of monk
Noun
  • The Bible’s message was seen as not only informative but salvific, and the monastic who memorized its words filled his or her soul with divine wisdom.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • Historical questions remain, however, regarding whether such practices were primarily reserved for monastics or widely practiced among laypeople.
    — Daniel M. Stuart, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of monastic
Noun
  • The film, which is playing Out of Competition on the Lido, charts the brutality of Spanish friar Padre Enciso over the population in the 17th century.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Another work, a small double-sided panel portraying the Virgin Mary and Child with a Franciscan friar in adoration on one side and the dead Christ in Pietà on the other, was also stolen.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of friar
Noun
  • The novice senator is beginning her sixth week on the job, having been appointed to fill her late brother Lindsey Graham's seat two days after his sudden death on July 11.
    — Sophia Vlahakis, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • An aurora photographer who spoke to National Geographic offered tips for novices trying to take photos of the phenomenon, including would-be photographers who only have access to a smartphone camera.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of novice

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Cite this Entry

“Anchoress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anchoress. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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