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

The expedition grew out of the false assurances of a Franciscan friar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

The company, which celebrated its 50th birthday this week, was started by two Steves in a San Franciscan garage.

From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026

There is an arm around my shoulders, a brown robe, click of black rosary beads, a Franciscan priest.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt