FRIAR Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

friar

noun

Definition of friar

as in monk

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Example Sentences

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 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 Nearly 500 years before, a Franciscan friar arrived in what is now the state of Jalisco carrying a 13-inch icon of the Virgin Mary that had been molded by Indigenous craftsmen from a paste of corn pith and orchid bulbs. — Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026 As the first year of Leo’s historic pontificate comes to a close, the longtime missionary and Augustinian friar remains a stalwart champion of migrants, the poor and care for the environment, a trinity of issues at the core of his ministry. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for friar

Recent Examples of Synonyms for friar

Noun

This might make sense for a Buddhist monk pursuing the great unbinding, but not for a random Brooklynite who just wants to be more productive at work.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Part of it is the identical outfits, a look that mixes Olsen twins with sister wives and a dash of Franciscan monk.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 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

Anton offers him protection, money and a possible escape from Stonemore, while an enigmatic local preacher (played by Kirby), presents him with a very different path.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Soon, the vast stadium was packed — not with rugby fans or concertgoers, but with thousands who came to pray with an African preacher.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 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

However, a reverend in Zambia — Billiance Chondwe — says he's noticed a change.

— Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 18 June 2026
Spirtual foundation Astara, where Guidera reportedly served as a reverend, paid tribute to the late actor in an emotional social media post over the weekend.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 9 June 2026

Definition of reverend

Noun

Also figuring prominently in the proceedings is the cleric’s acolyte Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit), a fictional character representing the many women who took part in the movement.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
In Iraq, the faction earned rebukes from clerics who had previously supported global jihad as well as from more mainstream religious leaders.

— Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of cleric

Noun

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
The court found that Shi used his positions, including as the temple abbot, to illegally embezzle more than $19 million alone or in conspiracy with others, between 2003 and 2025, CCTV reported.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026

Definition of abbot

Noun

Seven top clergypersons of the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the church head, Karekin II, have been charged with crimes related to the church’s refusal to restore a mutinous bishop.

— Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2026
Among the mourners and dozens of clergy at Trinity Cathedral in midtown Sacramento on Thursday was a man who met Jerry Lamb just once but whose life the late bishop touched.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of bishop

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friable

friar

friaries

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“Friar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friar. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of friar

noun

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