friar
Americannoun
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Roman Catholic Church. a member of a religious order, especially the mendicant orders of Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and Augustinians.
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Printing. a blank or light area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type.
noun
Synonym Usage
See monk.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of friar
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English frier, frere “brother,” from Old French frere, from Latin frāter; see brother
Explanation
A friar belongs to a religious order, a group within the Catholic church. A friar is similar to a monk. Friars are like monks in that they are devoted to a religious life. The difference is that a friar lives and works among regular people in society, while a monk lives in a secluded, self-sufficient group of monks. The word friar developed in the thirteenth century from the Old French frere, "brother or friar." The Latin root is frater, or "brother."
Vocabulary lists containing friar
Much Ado About Nothing
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"Culture Clash"
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And while CEO Sam Altman has been eager to do an IPO, CFO Sarah Friar has said the company may need more time, according to the Journal External link.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
CEO Sam Altman has been eager to do an IPO, while OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar has said that the company may need more time External link, the Journal reported earlier this month.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Altman has been eager to do an IPO, while the company’s CFO Sarah Friar has told company leaders it may need more time, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Like any corporate chief financial officer, Sarah Friar must translate her CEO’s grandest ambitions into something the company can actually afford—and know the right time to say no.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
“New students!” said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them.
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
