Franciscan

American

[fran-sis-kuhn] / frænˈsɪs kən /

adjective

of or relating to St. Francis or the Franciscans.

noun

a member of the mendicant order founded by St. Francis in the 13th century.

Franciscan British

/ frænˈsɪskən /

noun

1. a member of any of several Christian religious orders of mendicant friars or nuns tracing their origins back to Saint Francis of Assisi; a Grey Friar
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a Franciscan friar

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Franciscan

1585–95; < Medieval Latin Francisc ( us ) St. Francis of Assisi + -an

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He renounced his wealth and devoted his life to the poor, founding the order of the Franciscans.

From BBC

The Franciscan order says some 400,000 people have reserved visits to see the remains, which will be on display until March 22.

From Barron's

The Bishop agrees, but insists that since no other Franciscans are female, Aleys must be sent to the nearby Beguines—laywomen who take no vows, live in community, and work to support the church.

From Los Angeles Times

“It breaks my heart, because I’m an immigrant,” said Lupita Sanchez, a Franciscan nun who joined the Mass on Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times

The Bishop agrees but insists that since no other Franciscans are female, Aleys must be sent to the nearby Beguines — laywomen who take no vows, live in community and work to support the church.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023