Monastique

Monastique is a French adjective and noun related to monasteries and the monastic way of life. It describes things pertaining to monasteries, monks or nuns, monastic communities, and the practices, architecture, and culture associated with them. The term derives from Latin monasticus, via Old French monastique, ultimately from Greek monastikos, meaning "living alone" or "within a monastery".

Historically, Christian monasticism emerged in late antiquity as a movement for ascetic living devoted to prayer and study. It developed in two main forms: eremitic life, where individuals withdraw from society, and cenobitic life, in which communities live together under a common rule. The Benedictine Rule and other orders organized prayer, work, and stability, shaping monastery life for centuries. Monasteries became centers of learning, manuscript preservation, agriculture, and charitable activity.

Today, monastique describes contemporary monastic communities and practices across Christian traditions and in Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu contexts where monastic vows are taken. Core features typically include vows such as poverty, chastity, and obedience (in Christian contexts), a guiding rule, liturgical or meditative prayer, and a focus on contemplation or service. Monastic life may be lived in solitude or in community, and in urban as well as rural settings.

In architecture and culture, the term also denotes monastic aesthetics in buildings, art, and manuscripts associated with monastic communities.