hegumen

H4E1G2U1M3E1N1

noun

The head of a monastery of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Catholic Churches.

OriginAncient Greek ἡγούμενος →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounhegumen (plural hegumens)

plural hegumens · alternative hegumenos · alternative egumen · alternative igumen · alternative higumen · alternative ihumen · alternative hegumon

  1. ChristianityThe head of a monastery of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Catholic Churches.

    From 1517 to 1637 a total of 19 Kirillov hegumens were transferred to other influential positions, and nine of them were raised to episcopal seats.

    2015, Ines Angeli Murzaku, Monasticism in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Republics

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἡγούμενος“leader”
  2. Englishhegumen

Ultimately from Ancient Greek ἡγούμενος (hēgoúmenos, “leader”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic قُمُّص
  • قُمُّص (qummuṣ)head of a monastery
Finnish igumeeni
  • igumeenihead of a monastery
French hégoumène, higoumène
  • hégoumènehead of a monastery
  • higoumènehead of a monastery
Italian egumeno
  • egumenohead of a monastery
Russian игу́мен
  • игу́мен (igúmen)head of a monastery
Slovak igumen, igumena
  • igumenhead of a monastery
  • igumenahead of a monastery
Cite this entry
APA

hegumen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hegumen

MLA

“hegumen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hegumen. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hegumen,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hegumen.

Source: hegumen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.