Monasticism

noun (uncountable)

/məˈnæstɪsɪzəm/

A religious way of life in which individuals renounce worldly pursuits and live in a community under a common rule, observing celibacy, poverty, and discipline, as practised in Buddhist sanghas and Jain monastic orders.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

India's reform movements, from the Buddhist sangha to the Ramakrishna Mission, reveal how monasticism, far from being mere world-renunciation, has historically channelled disciplined energy into education, healthcare and social service, lending spiritual legitimacy to public welfare.

Synonyms

monkhoodasceticismmonachismcloistered lifereligious seclusioneremitism

Antonyms

worldlinesssecularismhedonismmaterialism

🌱 Word Family

monasticism (n), monastic (adj), monastery (n), monk (n), monastically (adv), monasterial (adj)

🔡 Root

Greek monazein = to live alone; monos = alone, single; Late Latin monasticus; -ism = practice/system

📜 Etymology

From Late Latin monasticus, from Greek monastikos ("solitary"), from monazein ("to live alone"), from monos ("alone, single").

🧠 Memory Hook

Root "monos" = alone (as in mono-rail, mono-logue). A "mona-stic" person lives alone for God; monasticism is the whole system of that solitary, vowed life.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Buddhism & Jainism — Origins, Teaching...

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