cloister

1 of 2

noun

clois·ter ˈklȯi-stər

Synonyms of cloister

: a monastic establishment

: an area within a monastery or convent to which the religious are normally restricted

: monastic life

young men and women choosing the cloister as a way of life

: a place or state of seclusion

… the Internet broke out of its academic cloister and started cavorting in the mainstream.—Paul McFedries

: a covered passage on the side of a court usually having one side walled and the other an open arcade or colonnade

The courtyard is surrounded with a cloister.

cloister

2 of 2

verb

cloistered; cloistering ˈklȯi-st(ə-)riŋ

transitive verb

: to seclude from the world in or as if in a cloister

a scientist who cloisters herself in a laboratory

policy makers are cloistered for the weekend, trying to stave off a default that they fear could trigger an international financial panic—Art Pine

: to surround with a cloister

cloistered gardens

Did you know?

Cloister first entered the English language as a noun in the 13th century; it referred then (as it still does) to a convent or monastery. More than three centuries later, English speakers began using the verb cloister to mean "to seclude in or as if in a cloister." Today, the noun can also refer to the monastic life or to a covered and usually arched passage along or around a court. You may also encounter cloistered with the meaning "surrounded with a covered passage," as in "cloistered gardens." Cloister ultimately derives from the Latin verb claudere, meaning "to close." Other words that can be traced back to the prolific claudere include close, conclude, exclude, include, preclude, seclude, and recluse.

Examples of cloister in a Sentence

Noun monks living in a cloister in the country

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Noun

The latter was particularly restorative, as was the Negroni No. 2 at Le Bar, in the cloister, which adds beets and strawberries to the classic recipe. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025 When the breeze flows through the cloisters, the kites float, showing off their gravity-defying nature. —Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2025

Verb

The process, known as the conclave, is one of the most secretive elections in the world, cloistered inside the Sistine Chapel under intense procedural rules designed to preserve the sanctity and security of the decision. —Dan Cody, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025 Then will begin the Conclave, when 90 cardinals will be cloistered to vote for and appoint Francis’s success. —Caroline Frost, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cloister

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English cloistre, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin claustrum, from Latin, bar, bolt, from claudere to close — more at close entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of cloister was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century