Jesuit

Je·su·it

noun \ˈje-zü-ət, -zhü- also -zyü-\

Definition of JESUIT

1

: a member of the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1534 and devoted to missionary and educational work

2

: one given to intrigue or equivocation

— je·su·it·i·cal \ˌje-zü-ˈ(w)i-ti-kəl, -zhü-, -zyü-\ also je·su·it·ic \-tik\ adjective often capitalized

— je·su·it·i·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb often capitalized

— je·su·it·ism \ˈje-zü-ə-ˌti-zəm, -zhü-, -zyü-\ or je·su·it·ry \-ə-trē\ noun often capitalized

Origin of JESUIT

New Latin Jesuita, from Late Latin Jesus

First Known Use: 1548