as in beggar
a person who lives by public begging
those wretched mendicants on the streets of Calcutta
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as in monastic
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Recent Examples of mendicant
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 8 Oct. 2025
Guido eventually became a Dominican friar, dedicating himself to making art within the mendicant order; after his death, in 1455, he became known as Fra Angelico, or the Angelic Friar.
—Louise Bokkenheuser, Air Mail, 4 Oct. 2025
Unlike monks who withdrew from ordinary life, mendicants stressed a life of poverty, spent in travel from town to town to preach and help the poor.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
Augustinians are mendicants, like the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Carmelites.
—Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
In Thank You for Your Servitude, which for my money is the only truly interesting book about the Trump presidency, author Mark Leibovich goes into harrowing detail about how the modern GOP readily turned itself into a gaggle of mendicants to serve Trump on bended knee.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 29 Apr. 2023
But both mendicant and supplicant have a religious connotation.
—Stephen Miller, WSJ, 11 Oct. 2021
The island was a coda of sorts: a place of Christian pilgrimage since the death of a local mendicant, later canonized as St. Cuthbert, in 687.
—Henry Wismayer, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2021
Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
The abrupt appearance and disappearance of the mendicant pilgrim is part of her power.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 5 Apr. 2023
No doubt the traditional tunic and mantle of his mendicant religious order met some standard of austerity when they were adopted in the Middle Ages.
—Nicholas Frankovich, National Review, 2 Jan. 2021
Noun
On page 1,179, a mob of angry Haitian mendicants dissatisfied with their latest handouts chase some American workers into the motel parking lot, and then surround their cars.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 8 Oct. 2025
Guido eventually became a Dominican friar, dedicating himself to making art within the mendicant order; after his death, in 1455, he became known as Fra Angelico, or the Angelic Friar.
—Louise Bokkenheuser, Air Mail, 4 Oct. 2025
Unlike monks who withdrew from ordinary life, mendicants stressed a life of poverty, spent in travel from town to town to preach and help the poor.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
Augustinians are mendicants, like the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Carmelites.
—Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
In Thank You for Your Servitude, which for my money is the only truly interesting book about the Trump presidency, author Mark Leibovich goes into harrowing detail about how the modern GOP readily turned itself into a gaggle of mendicants to serve Trump on bended knee.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 29 Apr. 2023
But both mendicant and supplicant have a religious connotation.
—Stephen Miller, WSJ, 11 Oct. 2021
The island was a coda of sorts: a place of Christian pilgrimage since the death of a local mendicant, later canonized as St. Cuthbert, in 687.
—Henry Wismayer, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2021
Adjective
The first mendicant orders, like the Franciscans and Dominicans, received papal approval in the early 13th century.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
The abrupt appearance and disappearance of the mendicant pilgrim is part of her power.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 5 Apr. 2023
No doubt the traditional tunic and mantle of his mendicant religious order met some standard of austerity when they were adopted in the Middle Ages.
—Nicholas Frankovich, National Review, 2 Jan. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mendicant
Noun
-
In Havana, beggars are ubiquitous.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Brando, the owner of an atoll in Tahiti, where his family dwelled, had become the beggar of Hollywood, who had to feed on crumbs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Delas Francois de Tournon is named for the monastic order of Jesuits who resided in this area in the 17th century.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
23 Oct. 2025
-
With a frill-less monastic setting, this institution has several London locations, but Smithfield is the OG, serving signature dishes like roasted bone marrow and oven-hot madeleines available by the dozen and half dozen.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But degraded conventual forces could drive Putin to other means of exerting force.—
Matt Seyler,
ABC News,
10 May 2022
-
The Rev. Brad Heckathorne, a Conventual Franciscan friar, performed the ceremony at the chapel at Duke University.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2017
Adjective
-
This has given the conflict a religious coloration, and political elites have also chosen to politicize the conflict to negotiate power and other interests, which has complicated the problem.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Seyfried spoke to the real-life Ann Lee's experience losing all of her children at a young age, which influenced her religious views.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Of course, Alexander Pope also suggested the follow up - to forgive divine.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
This divine angel food cake's rich, moist texture is unlike any other.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Winston said because of that, Bible-believing and sacramental Christians have no choice but to be out protesting for the protection of immigrants.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The Bible And Armenia’s Wine History The winemaking apparatus was found next to what amounts to a cemetery, likely for sacramental or religious purposes.—
Layne Randolph,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mendicant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mendicant. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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