as in prioress
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Recent Examples of abbess
It’s been nearly 14 centuries since the monastery founded by St. Hild of Whitby, a prominent abbess in 7th century Anglo-Saxon England, hosted the Northumbrian kingdom’s assembly to discuss the date on which its Christian church would celebrate Easter.
—
Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2023
Another early modern abbess, likely one Eadburg of Minster-in-Thanet, left behind a legacy of a different kind: her name and assorted doodles of humanoid figures, inscribed on the pages of an eighth-century Christian manuscript now housed at the University of Oxford.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2022
In 1151, Richardis was appointed the abbess of a convent far to the north, near Bremen, where her brother happened to be the archbishop.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023
This Eadburg taught another Englishwoman—Leoba, the abbess of Bischofsheim—how to read, according to an editorial in the Guardian.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for abbess
Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2023
Another early modern abbess, likely one Eadburg of Minster-in-Thanet, left behind a legacy of a different kind: her name and assorted doodles of humanoid figures, inscribed on the pages of an eighth-century Christian manuscript now housed at the University of Oxford.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2022
In 1151, Richardis was appointed the abbess of a convent far to the north, near Bremen, where her brother happened to be the archbishop.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023
This Eadburg taught another Englishwoman—Leoba, the abbess of Bischofsheim—how to read, according to an editorial in the Guardian.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for abbess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abbess
Noun
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In response, the diocese said in a statement that the Holy See has acted toward healing the Arlington Carmel and the nuns in the community and not simply the former prioress and her former councilors.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2024
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Matrix by Lauren Groff Currents of violence and devotion coalesce around Marie de France, a 17-year-old sent to be the new prioress of a 12th-century English abbey.—
Mia Barzilay Freund,
Vogue,
29 Mar. 2024
Noun
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The nuns are pushing for change at major companies through shareholder activism. 6:19 In the quiet town of Atchison, Kansas, an unlikely group of activists is taking on some of America's biggest corporations -- not through protests on the streets, but through the stock market.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Written and directed by Warwick Thornton, the Australian filmmaker behind titles like Sweet Country and Samson & Delilah, The New Boy takes place in 1940s Australia at a remote monastery with a mission for Aboriginal children run by a renegade nun, Sister Eileen (Blanchett).—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In the medieval church, women’s roles were limited – usually some form of enclosure and celibacy, such as becoming an anchoress walled up alone for life, or a nun in a classic convent.—
Joelle Rollo-Koster,
The Conversation,
25 Feb. 2025
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Louise, a former anchoress, is her humble, tyrannical maid.—
Hervé Guibert,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The ideal approach is to let veterans and novices collaborate, as tech alone cannot capture the human spirit.—
Deepa Nagraj,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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Long banking career and political novice Carney, who has had a high-profile banking career, is a political outsider who has never held political office.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA TODAY,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While appearing on Live with Kelly and Mark on Monday, April 7, the 37-year-old podcast host and former Hindu monk discussed his most recent gig as a wedding officiant — because there's been more than one! — with Hudgens, 36, and Tucker, 28.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Now people see black horses with fiery eyes, monks high in the tree tops.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Archaeologists excavating a massive tomb in Pompeii unearthed extremely rare, nearly life-size marble statues that shed new light on the power held by priestesses in the ancient city.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
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In her right hand, the female figure holds laurel leaves, which Roman priestesses and priests once used to purify spaces.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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As the village abbot never far from the woods, or from Martine’s little dining room table, Jacques Develay manages the trick of utter simplicity in his motives and line readings.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
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When Kaldi shared the berries with an abbot of a local monastery, the monk ended up wide awake during the evening prayers.—
Marta Zaraska,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abbess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abbess. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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