mendicant 1 of 2

noun

ˈmen-di-kənt How to pronounce mendicant (audio)
Definition of mendicantnext
as in beggar
a person who lives by public begging those wretched mendicants on the streets of Calcutta

Synonyms & Similar Words

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mendicant

2 of 2

adjective

as in monastic

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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 mendicant
Noun
His eyes alternated between the mendicant and Bob. — Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 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
Adjective
One was that literary journalism anthology the mendicant had flipped through. — Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for mendicant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mendicant
  1. beggar
  2. monastic
  3. conventual
  4. religious
  5. divine
  6. sacramental
Noun
  • Dhaka’s rundown streets peppered with the homeless, vendors and child beggars.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Robert Pattinson’s big outburst in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ has gone viral—here’s the ‘beggars’ meme, explained.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of beggar
Adjective
  • There is a small water basin symbolizing the source of life, and a continuous path that echoes monastic walks of contemplation.
    — Michael James Gardner, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But his nomadic lifestyle was not some monastic attempt to avoid selling out.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of monastic
Adjective
  • Martin entered the Conventual Franciscan Friars Novitiate in Ellicott City at age 17 after graduating from Curley.
    — Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2024
  • But degraded conventual forces could drive Putin to other means of exerting force.
    — Matt Seyler, ABC News, 10 May 2022
Definition of conventual
Adjective
  • However, its point of greatest eclipse occurs just a few miles from Thebes, the magnificent religious and political capital of ancient Egypt's Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Maryland's Freedom to Read Act states that material cannot be removed from school libraries based on political, religious or personal views.
    — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of religious
Adjective
  • My room was divine—a study in white on white on cream on winter white.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Recognizing this divine reality even a little, brings tangible, healing comfort to anyone who opens up their heart to it.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of divine
Adjective
  • In the Middle East, where gods were born, where narratives were sacred and the books in which they were inscribed considered sacramental, the ancient narratives are glorified again.
    — Robert Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • More than a century ago, French Catholic missionaries introduced winemaking to northern Yunnan, producing vines for sacramental wine and leaving behind a legacy that blends European techniques with local Tibetan culture.
    — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of sacramental

Browse Nearby Words

menders
mendicant
mendicants
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Cite this Entry

“Mendicant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mendicant. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mendicant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mendicant

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