Jesuit

noun

Je·​su·​it ˈje-zü-ət How to pronounce Jesuit (audio) -zhü- How to pronounce Jesuit (audio)
 also  -zyü-
1
: a member of the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1534 and devoted to missionary and educational work
2
: one given to intrigue or equivocation
jesuitical
ˌje-zü-ˈ(w)i-ti-kəl How to pronounce Jesuit (audio)
-zhü-
-zyü-
adjective
or less commonly jesuitic
ˌje-zü-ˈ(w)i-tik How to pronounce Jesuit (audio)
-zhü-,
-zyü-
often capitalized usually disparaging
jesuitically
ˌje-zü-ˈ(w)i-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce Jesuit (audio)
-zhü-
-zyü-
adverb often capitalized
jesuitism
ˈje-zü-ə-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce Jesuit (audio)
-zhü-
-zyü-
noun
or jesuitry
ˈje-zü-ə-trē How to pronounce Jesuit (audio)
-zhü-,
-zyü-
often capitalized usually disparaging

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Jesuita, from Late Latin Jesus

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Jesuit was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near Jesuit

jestingly

Jesuit

Jesuit berry

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Jesuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jesuit. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Jesuit

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Jesuit

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