cloistered nun

A cloistered nun is a woman belonging to a religious order that practices strict enclosure, living within a monastery with minimal contact with the outside world.

Unlike nuns in active orders who may teach or do charitable work in the community, cloistered nuns dedicate themselves entirely to prayer and contemplation: The cloistered nuns rise at 3 a.m. for the first prayers of the day.

The term emphasizes the physical separation—the cloister—that defines their vocation.