noun
Christian ecclesiastical title for the head of a monastery or religious order. Used in Catholic and Orthodox contexts.
修院長は修道院の運営を監督する。
The abbot oversees the operation of the monastery.
新しい修院長が任命された。
A new prior has been appointed.
Compound of 修 (しゅう, 'religious training') + 院 (いん, 'institution') + 長 (ちょう, 'head'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in Christian contexts.