Since the Middle Ages, “nun” has been the usual general term in Christendom for women (virgins) living in convents having made life-long vows and joined a religious order. Together they constitute the convent (as community), which is characterized by enclosure, continuity of place (Latin stabilitas loci), and a communal religious and everyday life. The cohabitation of women bound to chastity in a religious community also occurs in non-Christian religions, including Buddhism.