friar
Americannoun
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Roman Catholic Church. a member of a religious order, especially the mendicant orders of Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and Augustinians.
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Printing. a blank or light area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type.
noun
Synonym Usage
See monk.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of friar
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English frier, frere “brother,” from Old French frere, from Latin frāter; see brother
Explanation
A friar belongs to a religious order, a group within the Catholic church. A friar is similar to a monk. Friars are like monks in that they are devoted to a religious life. The difference is that a friar lives and works among regular people in society, while a monk lives in a secluded, self-sufficient group of monks. The word friar developed in the thirteenth century from the Old French frere, "brother or friar." The Latin root is frater, or "brother."
Vocabulary lists containing friar
Much Ado About Nothing
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"Culture Clash"
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And while CEO Sam Altman has been eager to do an IPO, CFO Sarah Friar has said the company may need more time, according to the Journal External link.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
And while CEO Sam Altman has been eager to do an IPO, CFO Sarah Friar has said the company may need more time, according to the Journal External link.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
It falls to Friar to pull off what is envisioned as one of the biggest IPOs ever—at the exact moment when OpenAI’s growth has slowed relative to rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
For Sarah Friar, OpenAI’s chief financial officer, it was time to clear up the confusion.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
Unfortunately, the hedgehog could not check the cellars; Brother Edmund and Friar Hugo had the only two keys.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
