Franciscan

American  

[fran-sis-kuhn] / frænˈsɪs kən /

adjective

1. of or relating to St. Francis or the Franciscans.

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noun

1. a member of the mendicant order founded by St. Francis in the 13th century.

Franciscan British  

/ frænˈsɪskən /

noun

1. 1. a member of any of several Christian religious orders of mendicant friars or nuns tracing their origins back to Saint Francis of Assisi; a Grey Friar

   2. ( as modifier )

      a Franciscan friar

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Etymology

Origin of Franciscan

1585–95; < Medieval Latin Francisc ( us ) St. Francis of Assisi + -an

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Franciscan

Just out of curiosity, I did a bit of research on Cambridge and found that Franciscan friars laid the first water pipes in 1325, and the modern water system went into the ground in 1855.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Mr. Lewarne is a professor of economics and finance at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

It sparked debates up and down the Golden State as many people at the time still held a high regard for the Franciscan priest who was canonized in 2015.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2026

Trainer Nicky Henderson recorded his victory of the day when 9-2 favourite Jingko Blue finished in front of 50-1 shot Franciscan Rock in the Handicap Hurdle.

From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026

Like the wraith, Hades was dressed in the habit of a Franciscan monk, which Nico found vaguely disturbing.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan