Claustral

/ˈklɔːstrəl/ adjective

Definition

Relating to a cloister or enclosed monastic community; secluded and withdrawn from the world.

Etymology

From Latin claustrum + -al (adjective suffix). Emerged in medieval ecclesiastical terminology to describe religious spaces and the lifestyle within them.

Kelly Says

Universities still use 'claustral' to describe academic spaces meant for contemplation—suggesting that the medieval desire to enclose thought and study never really went away.

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