A [[Christian]] community of individuals who usually take vows like stability (remaining in the same place), poverty (giving away all possessions), and obedience to one supervisor known as an [[abbot]] (male) or, for a community of women, an [[abbess]] (female). | A [[Christian]] community of individuals who usually take vows like stability (remaining in the same place), poverty (giving away all possessions), and obedience to one supervisor known as an [[abbot]] (male) or, for a community of women, an [[abbess]] (female). |