Monk

Alternate meanings in Monk (disambiguation)

A monk is a male religious ascetic. The word comes from the Greek monachos (μοναχός), a solitary person. Monks often live in a monastery.

The female equivalent of a monk is called a nun, though the duties of a nun usually lie in the areas of religious education, nursing or charitable service. Therefore, the word nunk has been coined by Catholic theologian Raimundo Panikkar to refer to a female renunciate leading the contemplative life of a monk.

Monks in popular fiction and video games are often represented (or stereotyped) as martial artists. While there have been militant monastic orders at various points in history (Buddhist monks of the Shaolin temple are a well-known example), these are the exception and not the norm.