Jesuits

Cultural  

1. A religious order of men in the Roman Catholic Church; its official name is the Society of Jesus. Founded by Ignatius of Loyola in the sixteenth century, the society became the spearhead of the Counter Reformation.

---

Discover More

The Jesuit order has a long tradition of vigorous missionary work and of intellectual and scholarly achievement. The Jesuits have also been known historically for their influence, often behind the scenes, in European politics and for their skill and resourcefulness in debate — characteristics that have sometimes led people to mistrust them. In recent years, they have become better known as free-ranging thinkers on religious and political questions.

Example Sentences

One of his last Facebook posts, earlier this month, as a Chicagoan educated by Jesuits, was, “pope leo XIV is a sout’ sider my friendts. his cassock size is 4XIV.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025

Jesuits were historically looked on with suspicion by Rome.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

He was also the first Jesuit to be elected to the throne of St Peter - Jesuits were historically looked on with suspicion by Rome.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles turned to the Jesuits to use a corporate work study program employed at a Chicago high school to subsidize Catholic tuition.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2024

There are Jesuits and Jansenists, Calvinists and Lutherans, and some who have little or no belief.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton