nun

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈnən 

: a woman belonging to a religious order

especially : one under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

nunlike

ˈnən-ˌlīk 

adjective

nun

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈnu̇n 

: the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet see Alphabet Table

Examples of nun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Oliver Reed plays Grandier; Vanessa Redgrave is Sister Jeanne, the head nun whose fixation on him helps fuel the catastrophe. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

According to her national shrine, Rita was attracted to the way of life of the Augustinian nuns in her community right away. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

William’s half brother commissioned the piece to commemorate the conquest, thought it was likely woven by English nuns on the losing side of the war. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Monks and nuns take more stringent precautions to avoid harming creatures, even accidentally. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English nunne, from Late Latin nonna

Noun (2)

Hebrew nūn

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1567, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nun

• bun
• done
• dun
• fun
• gun
• hun
• jun
• none
• one
• pun
• run
• shun

Kids Definition

nun

noun

ˈnən

: a woman belonging to a religious order

especially : one living under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience