See the Dictionary Definition 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for friars
Noun
-
Two monks sustained serious injuries, and one monk lost part of his leg as a result of the crash.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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
-
But those states also have Republican governors, who would have raised holy hell if their constituents had been menaced by these roving mobs of mendicants.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
28 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The lawsuit echoes criticism that most commissioners are conservative Christian clerics and commentators; one is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
The group’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, who died in 2021, was one of the country’s most radical clerics.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Far from being a fringe belief system, masculinism has become the single most important force uniting the American right, bringing together an unlikely constellation of pastors, posters, senators, preachers, influencers, podcasters, and fanboys.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Badenoch has called for stronger enforcement, including deporting foreign preachers who are spreading hate in mosques and other institutions.—
Ariella Noveck,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
While women cannot be ordained as priests or deacons, they are not forbidden from teaching the faith as theologians, catechists and scholars.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
At the 1978 Lambeth Conference, Nigerian leadership opposed the recommendation to allow the ordination of women as deacons and priests, though the proposal sparked debate within the church.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Friars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/friars. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
