Mendicant

A beggar; a person who lives by begging, often associated with religious orders that rely on alms.

noun

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Imagine This

A man holding a can on the street is most likely a beggar begging for money.

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Sounds Like

MEN-dih-kənt

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Looks Like

A man with a cup or bowl begging on the street

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Remember This

Mendicant comes from Latin mendicare 'to beg', and historically referred to religious beggars who relied on alms.

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Other Forms

mendicancynoun

mendicitynoun

mendicantadjective

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Connect With

beggar, panhandler, alms, charity, mendicancy

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Note

Mendicant describes the act or condition of begging, often in a religious context; use 'beggar' for general, everyday begging and avoid implying all beggars are mendicants.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The mendicant friars traveled from town to town, relying on alms for sustenance.
A mendicant sat on the steps of the cathedral, asking passersby for donations.

Synonyms

beggarpanhandlersupplicant

Antonyms

donorbenefactorphilanthropist

Etymology

From Latin mendicare 'to beg', via mendicant- (beggar) from mendicus 'beggar'.

Mnemonic

MEND I CANT: Picture a man with a can who sighs, 'Mend I can't' as he asks for money.

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Coming after in time or order; following.

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Acronym

noun

A word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).

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