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oblate

noun

Definition of oblatenext
as in friar

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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 oblate The new archbishop is an associate member [oblate] of Pluscarden Abbey, a Benedictine community in Scotland, and is known as an able administrator who took decisions to re-organize the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025 For an oblate, prayer was an occupation, both a way to fill the day and a mystical way of healing the world. — Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025 In the north, Solomon knew, young oblates, the cherished daughters of gentlewomen, were given to the Lord out of the ranks of the nobility. — Cynthia Ozick, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023 But Earth is an oblate spheroid, meaning a 3D shape created by an ellipsis that’s rotating around its shorter axis—like a more rounded jelly donut. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 12 Feb. 2020 This was unexpected at Jupiter—a heavy, fast rotating, oblate (flattened at the poles) planet. — Andrew Coates, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oblate
  1. friar
  2. monastic
  3. monk
  4. mendicant
  5. ecclesiastic
  6. deacon
  7. reverend
  8. preacher
Noun
  • The tour guide, a man dressed up as a friar, walks over to the small memorial site.
    — Sonjirose Chin, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The film, which is playing Out of Competition on the Lido, charts the brutality of Spanish friar Padre Enciso over the population in the 17th century.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of friar
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
  • 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
  • Of all the precious goods accumulated by the rulers and ecclesiastics of late medieval Ethiopia, the most charged of all were books.
    — Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020
  • This shop for ecclesiastics has an exquisite selection of high-quality pieces.
    — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2019
Definition of ecclesiastic
Noun
  • Corle, 59, is one of the church deacons and works at nearby Eielson Air Force Base.
    — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
  • This summer, archaeologists uncovered a 1,700-year-old Byzantine city in Egypt, complete with a church and a deacon's home.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of deacon
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
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

objurgations
oblate
oblates
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Cite this Entry

“Oblate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oblate. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on oblate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oblate

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