FRIAR Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

friar

noun

Definition of friar

as in monk

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of friar Another work, a small double-sided panel portraying the Virgin Mary and Child with a Franciscan friar in adoration on one side and the dead Christ in Pietà on the other, was also stolen. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 17 Aug. 2026 Fra Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, who was a medieval Italian Franciscan friar and explorer in 1244 went to Mongolia [as a papal ambassador]. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 June 2026 The storied residence was first commissioned in 1712 by Anna Gravina, Princess of Gravina and Valguarnera, and it's also attributed to Dominican friar and architect Tommaso Maria Napoli. — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026 Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan friar and one of the pope’s key AI advisers, argued in December that human intelligence and dignity are unlike any sort of intelligence that could arise from digital minds. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 24 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for friar

Recent Examples of Synonyms for friar

Noun

Meanwhile, one monk intones that more offerings will bring the family greater blessing and peace.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
What draws Béatrice’s attention is a fantastical claim made by a Benedictine monk in an Italian magazine article from the 1970s.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of monk

Noun

Throughout much of Buddhist history, and particularly in Theravada Buddhist contexts, mindfulness and its associated meditation methods have been the purview of mendicants (monks and nuns), who used mindfulness meditation to achieve trance states (jhana) leading to nirvana.

— Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
An internationally famous leader who lived a mendicant’s life.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026

Definition of mendicant

Noun

But DeFalco is drawn to the sidewalk dwellers, street preachers and parking-lot boozers who also lurk down there and help (or hinder) Ten, usually at a loud volume.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Hollander plays Judge Jack Taylor, an authoritative man who weighs his words carefully, possessing both the warmth and charm of a country preacher and the cold edge of a cult leader.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of preacher

Noun

The Bible’s message was seen as not only informative but salvific, and the monastic who memorized its words filled his or her soul with divine wisdom.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Historical questions remain, however, regarding whether such practices were primarily reserved for monastics or widely practiced among laypeople.

— Daniel M. Stuart, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026

Definition of monastic

Noun

Attendance was mandatory, but a cleric with a loudspeaker tried to give the event a festive air.

— Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
The lawmaker, Hamid Rasaei, a cleric who has regularly lashed out at Iran’s negotiating team, is a member of the ultra-hard-line political party Paydari.

— Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of cleric

Noun

The men were also ordered to return more than 300 million baht (about $9 million) to the hospice at Wat Phra Bat Namphu temple in the central province of Lopburi, where Alongkot had served as abbot.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
The abbot eventually suspended the monk from his clerical duties a few months ago and the pair’s relationship worsened, per the outlet.

— Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of abbot

Noun

Essential California asked the bishop about his letter and the church’s role in the immigration debate while checking in with a couple of Catholic scholars who offered their perspectives.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Asked whether the White House had or hadn't received the bishop's consent for releasing the photos and video, the press office declined to answer that question.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of bishop

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friar

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“Friar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friar. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of friar

noun

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