Rosicrucian

[ roh-zi-kroo-shuhn, roz-i- ]

noun

1. (in the 17th and 18th centuries) a person who belonged to a secret society laying claim to various forms of occult knowledge and power and professing esoteric principles of religion.
2. a member of any of several later or modern bodies or societies professing principles derived from or attributed to the earlier Rosicrucians, especially of an organization Rosicrucian Order, or Ancient Mystic Order Rosae Crucis that is active in America.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Rosicrucians.

Rosicrucian

/ ˌrəʊzɪˈkruːʃən /

noun

1. a member of a society professing esoteric religious doctrines, venerating the emblems of the rose and Cross as symbols of Christ's Resurrection and Redemption, and claiming various occult powers

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating the Rosicrucians or Rosicrucianism

Derived Forms

• ˌRosiˈcrucianism, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Rosicrucian¹

First recorded in 1615–25; from New Latin Rosicruc- (Latinized form of Christian Rosenkreuz, “Rosecross” in German , the surname of the supposed 15th-century founder of the society, equivalent to ros(a) + -i- + cruc-, stem of crux ) + -ian; rose ¹, -i-, cross

Word History and Origins

Origin of Rosicrucian¹

C17: from Latin Rosae Crucis Rose of the Cross, translation of the German name Christian Rosenkreuz , supposed founder of the society in the 15th century

Example Sentences

The Alchemist and the Rosicrucian are no more, and of all their race, the professor of Legerdemain alone survives.

From Project Gutenberg

It affords a curious specimen of Rosicrucian mysteries; and Ashmole relates several miraculous stories.

From Project Gutenberg

Not one, perhaps, save Brynhild and the Rosicrucian, for whom the book is written.

From Project Gutenberg

Oliver Cromwell was a freemason, a Rosicrucian, and a friend of Vaughan's (p. 176).

From Project Gutenberg

Fludd was reputed to be a man of piety and great learning, and was an adept in the so-called Rosicrucian philosophy.

From Project Gutenberg