friary
friary Lexical Profile
friary Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A building or complex of buildings housing a community of friars, such as Franciscans, Dominicans, or Carmelites.
"The historic stone friary near the town center has been preserved as a local heritage museum."
A religious community or brotherhood of friars living and working together under mendicant vows.
"The local friary established a soup kitchen and shelter to serve impoverished residents of the parish."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often used interchangeably with 'monastery' in casual speech, a friary specifically houses mendicant friars (such as Franciscans or Dominicans) who work in the broader community, whereas a monastery houses monks who live in cloistered seclusion.
• Rhymes for friary
Word Origin & Etymology
Late Middle English, formed from 'friar' (from Old French frere, meaning 'brother', from Latin frater) and the suffix '-y', modeled on Anglo-Norman French frarie.