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
Derived 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.
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
A fully initiated Manichaean would not even cut his own salad, but employed a catechumen to commit on his behalf this act of murder, for which he subsequently shrived him.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7 "Arundel, Thomas" to "Athens" by Various
They were used principally in baptism, and were long kept secret from the catechumen until just before that rite was administered.
From A Source Book for Ancient Church History by Ayer, Joseph Cullen
Catechumen Schools.—The first Christian schools were catechumen schools.
From History of Education by Seeley, Levi
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.
