catechumen
Americannoun
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Ecclesiastical. a person under instruction in the rudiments of Christianity, as in the early church; a neophyte.
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a person being taught the elementary facts, principles, etc., of any subject.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of catechumen
1325–75; < Late Latin catēchūmenus < Greek katēchoúmenos (one who is) being taught orally, equivalent to katēche-, stem of katēcheîn to teach orally ( see catechist) + -omenos middle present participle suffix; replacing Middle English cathecumyn < Middle French cathecumine < Late Latin, as above
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.
Later, recounting his fruitless sessions with his hopeless catechumen, Father Mowbray tells the matriarch how he tried to explain to Mottram the concept of papal infallibility:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Thereupon she called her brother to her, and that catechumen, and spoke to them, saying: Stand fast in the faith, and love you all one another; and be not offended because of our passion.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Born of heathen parents, he turned to Christ and became a catechumen.
From Time Magazine Archive
Afterward, causing that catechumen and the brother to approach, she addressed them, saying: “Stand fast in the faith, and love one another, all of you, and be not offended at our sufferings.”
From A Source Book for Ancient Church History by Ayer, Joseph Cullen
A catechumen himself, and knowing but little of the great truths of Christianity, he was easily deceived by Eusebius' story and hastened to take his advice.
From Saint Athanasius The Father of Orthodoxy by Forbes, F. A. (Frances Alice)
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.
