Carmelite

American  

[kahr-muh-lahyt] / ˈkɑr məˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a mendicant friar belonging to a religious order founded at Mt. Carmel, Palestine, in the 12th century; White Friar.

2. a nun belonging to this order.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Carmelites or their order.

Carmelite British  

/ ˈkɑːməˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a member of an order of mendicant friars founded about 1154; a White Friar

2. a member of a corresponding order of nuns founded in 1452, noted for its austere rule

3. (modifier) of or relating to the Carmelite friars or nuns

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Etymology

Origin of Carmelite

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin Carmelita, named after Carmel, first seat of the order; see -ite ¹

Example Sentences

This is prestigious Crespi Carmelite High School, where God is watching at all times.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2024

The monastery was “an ideal location, in a quiet corner of the city,” according to the Carmelite website.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 19, 2023

Blanche de la Force, a nervous, fretful young aristocrat, seeks to join an order of Carmelite nuns to quiet her mind and find refuge amid the chaos of the French Revolution.

From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2023

The prioress of the order had taken her to meet the friar Robert, who was visiting from the Carmelite priory in Oxford, to see if he wanted anything to eat.

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2023

But these were sacred figures in rich velvet capes and glittery robes and shepherds' cloaks beautifully stitched to look ragged with patches by the Carmelite nuns.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez