Franciscan

[ fran-sis-kuh n ]

/ frænˈsɪs kən /

adjective

of or relating to St. Francis or the Franciscans.

noun

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

Origin of Franciscan

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for franciscans

Or are you, like so many of your fellow Franciscans, uninterested in philosophy?
The Saracen: Land of the Infidel|Robert Shea
The Jesuits took to the mountains and marshes to save their people, but the Franciscans defied the edict.
The Jesuits, 1534-1921|Thomas J. Campbell
He intended that his college should rival the houses of the Dominicans and the Franciscans.
The Charm of Oxford|J. Wells
Certainly it is not for the Franciscans that one remembers Francis of Assisi.
Rosinante to the Road Again|John Dos Passos

The Franciscans believed in the immaculate conception; the Dominicans denied it.
The Rise of the Mediaeval Church|Alexander Clarence Flick

British Dictionary definitions for franciscans

Franciscan

/ (frænˈsɪskən) /

noun

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
(as modifier)a Franciscan friar

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for franciscans

Franciscan

1590s, "friar of the order founded in 1209 by St. Francis (Medieval Latin Franciscus) of Assisi" (1182-1226). Also as an adjective.

Culture definitions for franciscans

Franciscans

A religious order founded by Francis of Assisi, known, like Francis, for devotion to poverty. The Franciscans have many divisions, and include both men and women.