1
: practicing beggary : engaged in begging
Past the Winter Garden where Cats plays on … past the half-hour photo store, past the mendicant saxophone player on the corner.—Margot Hornblower
My father also gave me quarters to give to homeless, mendicant men along the route, even though our family was very poor.—Phil Kronk
2
: of, relating to, belonging to, or constituting a religious order combining monastic life and outside religious activity and originally owning neither personal nor community property
mendicant friars
Friars should not be confused with monks. Members of the mendicant orders are friars, and include Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, Servites and Carmelites.—Leslie Sellers
Cite this Entry
“Mendicant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mendicant. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share