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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Dissimilar Words

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
  • 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
  • Antinous shocked even the other suitors by insulting and assaulting an elderly beggar; when the beggar revealed himself as Odysseus and slew the suitors, Antinous was the first to die.
    — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026
Definition of beggar
Adjective
  • Not all retreats are monastic, and seclusion can easily nourish a hothouse of gossip.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The monastic Wiesler eventually comes to believe Dreyman is harmless and in the process doubts the very foundations of autocracy itself.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 27 July 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
  • Beijing has appointed its own senior monks, maintained close surveillance and controls on religious expression, and faced allegations of cracking down on peaceful dissent and forcing the large-scale relocation of rural and nomadic Tibetans.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Singapore maintains strict rules on the public display of foreign flags and emblems without a permit, framing the laws as necessary to protect the country’s racial and religious harmony.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of religious
Adjective
  • Better-known are the New York state sites where Smith reported his original divine revelations — or the sites of his followers’ embattled settlements in Missouri and Illinois before their ultimate move to Utah.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This espresso martini popsicle delivers rich, divine indulgence in a perfectly frozen form.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of divine
Adjective
  • 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
  • The sacramental palms can be kept at home and returned to church or nature, but should not to be thrown away, the Archdiocese noted.
    — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 23 Mar. 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 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mendicant

Nglish: Translation of mendicant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mendicant

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