monasticism

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

monasticism
    n 1: asceticism as a form of religious life; usually conducted
         in a community under a common rule and characterized by
         celibacy and poverty and obedience

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Monasticism \Mo*nas"ti*cism\, n.
   The monastic life, system, or condition. --Milman.
   [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

43 Moby Thesaurus words for "monasticism":
      Albigensianism, Catharism, Franciscanism, Sabbatarianism, Trappism,
      Waldensianism, Yoga, abstinence, anchoritic monasticism,
      anchoritism, asceticism, austerity, bachelordom, bachelorhood,
      bachelorism, bachelorship, celibacy, continence, eremitism,
      fasting, flagellation, friarhood, maceration, maidenhead,
      maidenhood, mendicantism, misogamy, misogyny, monachism, monkery,
      mortification, puritanism, rigor, self-denial, self-mortification,
      single blessedness, single state, singleness, spinsterhood,
      unwed state, virgin state, virginity, voluntary poverty