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

Only five teams33 have a higher win percentage than the Friars.

From FiveThirtyEight

His first theater role was as Friar Laurence in a UVA production of Romeo and Juliet.

From The Daily Beast

He wore the hooded brown habit and sandals of a Franciscan Capuchin friar.

From The Daily Beast

A man in a knit cap called out to the friar on duty, Father Paul Lostritto.

From The Daily Beast

Romney is like the sheriff of Nottingham: all castle, no conviction; which makes Newt Gingrich the earthy Friar Tuck.

From The Daily Beast

But that kid from Podunk, now unloading freight at the big-box store, is a universe away from Oxford and a Capuchin friar buddy.

From The Daily Beast

It is also thought that the book was written by a Franciscan friar for the use of some one in a Benedictine house.

From Project Gutenberg

It is only,” replies the friar, “to grace and adorn my speech; it is the colour of a Ciceronian rhetoric.

From Project Gutenberg

A sharp eye was kept on all arrivals from abroad, and a friar, fresh from Portugal, was hanged in his cowl at Limerick.

From Project Gutenberg

He did not fare so badly either, for being plump and rosy he was allowed to personate the jolly Friar Tuck.

From Project Gutenberg

Then they had tea in the friar's cell, and afterwards Michael set out to walk back to St. Antoine.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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