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

At Santa Croce, the world's largest Franciscan church, Giotto's frescoes bear witness to his innovations, including modern spatial techniques such as foreshortening and human figures imparted with a fleshy weightiness.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 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 68-year-old San Franciscan has helped put many Democratic candidates in office as one of the party’s biggest political donors in the past two decades, but has never held public office himself.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Our house was a fourteen-room typical San Franciscan post-Earthquake affair.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou