Members of a religious community who live together and follow a shared rule or discipline, especially in monasteries.
From Late Latin coenobium, derived from Greek koinobios (koine 'common' + bios 'life'). The term evolved from monastic communities in early Christianity to describe any group living under communal rules.
Cenobites were the original commune dwellers—Christians in the desert around 300 CE decided community living was more spiritually powerful than going solo, which became the blueprint for every monastery, kibbutz, and intentional community afterward.
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