friar

[ frahy-er ]

noun

1. Roman Catholic Church. a member of a religious order, especially the mendicant orders of Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and Augustinians.
2. Printing. a blank or light area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type. Compare monk ( def 3 ).

friar

/ ˈfraɪə /

noun

1. a member of any of various chiefly mendicant religious orders of the Roman Catholic Church, the main orders being Black Friars (Dominicans), Grey Friars (Franciscans), White Friars (Carmelites), and Austin Friars (Augustinians) See also Black Friar Grey Friar White Friar Augustinian

Derived Forms

• ˈfriarly, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of friar¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English frier, frere “brother,” from Old French frere, from Latin frāter; brother

Word History and Origins

Origin of friar¹

C13 frere , from Old French: brother, from Latin frāter brother

Synonym Study

See monk.

Example Sentences

But good luck keeping straight the roles assigned to Gabby Beans, who’s called upon to play Mercutio, the Friar and the Prince.

From Los Angeles Times

A theologian who later became a Dominican friar, he revolutionised Church teachings with his 1971 book Theology of Liberation.

From BBC

A friar who knew of his struggle encouraged him to start dating a woman, but it didn’t feel natural.

From BBC

The other is the speaker of parliament, Szymon Hołownia, who had once considered becoming a Dominican friar.

From Seattle Times

The series will follow the lives of eight men and women who have been beatfied, including Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Becket, Mary Magdalene and Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan friar who volunteered to die at Auschwitz to save the life of the father of a family.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• cleric
• elder
• father
• lama
• monk
• preacher
• rector