A Glossary of Terms Commonly Used by Women Religious

Some terms and words commonly used within religious communities are often unfamiliar to the general public. Following is a list of “sisterspeak” terms and their definition in “everyday speak.”

 A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z 

Sister

Women who live in active, uncloistered religious communities are usually referred to as Sisters. Most American women religious are referred to as Sisters, while cloistered American and European monastic women are referred to as Nuns.

 

Used with permission of NCNWR