motherhouse

M3O1T1H4E1R1H4O1U1S1E1

noun

The monastery from which the other 'houses' of a religious order or congregation were (directly or indirectly) founded, often eponymous.

“The Cistercian order is named after its motherhouse Cîteaux in Burgundy, where abbot St. Bernard initiated in 1113 the reform of their branch of the Benedictine order, which has its motherhouse at Monte Cassino.”

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Meanings

nounmotherhouse (plural motherhouses)

plural motherhouses

  1. The monastery from which the other 'houses' of a religious order or congregation were (directly or indirectly) founded, often eponymous.

    The Cistercian order is named after its motherhouse Cîteaux in Burgundy, where abbot St. Bernard initiated in 1113 the reform of their branch of the Benedictine order, which has its motherhouse at Monte Cassino.

  2. The convent which is the seat (and often the above original foundation) of the superior of an order or congregation, and/or on which lower ranking houses (such as priories under an abbot) depend.

Origin

From mother + house.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch moederhuis
  • moederhuisreligious monastery from which the other houses were founded
French maison mère
  • maison mèrereligious monastery from which the other houses were founded

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

housemother
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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