convent

A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers/sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion. The terms "convent" and "nunnery" almost invariably refer to a community of women in modern English usage (from 18th century), while "monastery", "priory" and "friary" are used for men; but in historical usage they are often interchangeable.