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.