a large or important church, especially a cathedral or the main church of a monastery, often one with impressive architecture.
From Old English 'mynster,' derived from Latin 'monasterium' (monastery). Originally meant a church connected to a monastery, but evolved to mean any grand cathedral.
York Minster, Canterbury Cathedral, and Southwark Cathedral in England still use the term 'minster,' preserving a word from when monasteries controlled most learning and literacy in medieval Europe—these buildings were literally the centers of knowledge.
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