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

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

Cesareo, a Franciscan friar, said the "damaged" and "consumed" state of the bones showed that St Francis "gave himself completely" to his life's work.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

“He’s a begging friar of the Franciscan rule,” Bear said.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi