mnich

Mnich is a male religious who withdraws from secular life to live in a monastery or similar community, taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and dedicating himself to prayer, worship, and service. Monks may live under a personal rule and can be ordained as priests or remain lay brothers, depending on tradition.

The word mnich derives from Latin monachus, via Greek monachos, from the ancient Greek monos meaning alone. The term denotes a person who seeks a life apart from ordinary society in pursuit of spiritual discipline.

Historically, monasticism emerged in the early Christian centuries in the East and West, in eremitic (hermit) and cenobitic (community) forms. In medieval Europe monasteries became centers of learning, manuscript preservation, agriculture and charitable work. Distinct orders developed with their own rules and customs, such as the Benedictines, Cistercians, Carthusians and various Orthodox communities. Benedictines, for example, emphasized communal life under a rule, while other orders pursued different emphases within the broader monastic tradition.

Lifestyle and rules: Monks typically follow a schedule of communal prayers, manual labor, study and contemplation; specifics depend on tradition. They take vows such as stability, poverty and obedience; some are ordained as priests, others remain as lay brothers.

Contemporary context: Today, monastic life persists in Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and other Christian traditions, with monasteries ranging from contemplative communities to active houses involved in education, publishing, healthcare or hospitality. In Polish usage, mnich is the standard term for male monastics; female monastics are referred to as mniszki.