monasticism

Monasticism is a way of living that's religious, isolated from other people, and self-disciplined. In many religions, monks and nuns practice monasticism.

Do you live as though you're a monk in a monastery? Then you can describe your lifestyle as monasticism. In fact, all three of these words share the same Greek root, monos, or "alone." Monasticism is usually religious, but it can be used to describe any mode of living that's either solitary or within a community that's isolated from the rest of the world. Your monasticism may lead you to buy a cabin in the woods, where you can be self-sufficient and spend a lot of time meditating.

Definitions of monasticism

1. noun

   asceticism as a form of religious life; usually conducted in a community under a common rule and characterized by celibacy and poverty and obedience
   types:

   eremitism

   monasticism characterized by solitude in which the social dimension of life is sacrificed to the primacy of religious experience

   type of:

   asceticism, austerity, nonindulgence

   the trait of great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures)