Monastic Orders

noun a member of a Christian religious order following the rule of St. Benedict

adjective relating to or characteristic of the Benedictine order or its members

• The Benedictine monks have been living in the monastery for centuries.
• I heard the Benedictine monks make the best cheese in town.
• Let's go check out the Benedictine monastery, it's supposed to be lit.
• Her peaceful demeanor was like a Benedictine retreat for my soul.

noun a title given to the head of certain monastic orders or congregations

• The abbots general are responsible for overseeing the entire order of monks.
• The abbots general are like the bosses of all the monks.
• Those abbots general sure have a lot of power in the monastery.
• The abbots general are the shepherds guiding their flock of monks.

noun a term used in medieval Latin to refer to an abbot who is not under the authority of a bishop

• The abbots nullius were responsible for overseeing territories that were not under the jurisdiction of any diocese.
• The abbots nullius had a lot of power over their territories.
• The abbots nullius were like the bosses of their areas.
• Being an abbot nullius in his own home, he made all the decisions without consulting anyone else.