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

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

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

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