friar

F4R1I1A1R1
UK/ˈfɹaɪə/US/ˈfɹaɪɚ/

noun

A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).

Similar
brotherfratermendicant
OriginMiddle English frere ← Old French frere ← Latin frāter →
Less commonScrabble 8
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Meanings

friar1

nounfriar (plural friars)

plural friars · alternative obsolete frier · alternative obsolete fryar

  1. A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).

    Synonyms: brother, frater

  2. datedmediaA white or pale patch on a printed page caused by poor inking.
  3. An American fish, the silverside.
    1. Such fish prepared as food.

Friar2

proper nounFriar (plural Friars)

plural Friars

  1. A surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).

Similar
brotherfrater

More synonyms by meaning

nouna male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms

Similar
mendicant
Broader
religious
Also see
mendicantsilverside

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰréh₂tēr
  2. Proto-Italic*frātēr
  3. Latinfrāter
  4. Old Frenchfrere
  5. Middle Englishfrere
  6. Englishfriar

Inherited from Middle English frere, borrowed from Old French frere, from Latin frāter, from Proto-Italic *frātēr, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr. Doublet of bhai, brother, bru, frater, pal, and vai.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian монах
  • монах (monah)member of certain Christian orders
Catalan frare
  • fraremember of certain Christian orders
Chinese 男修道士
  • 男修道士 (nán xiū dào shì)member of certain Christian orders
Czech fráter
  • frátermember of certain Christian orders
Esperanto monaĥo
  • monaĥomember of certain Christian orders
Finnish veli
  • velimember of certain Christian orders
French frère
  • frèremember of certain Christian orders
German Mönch, Ordensbruder
  • Mönchmember of certain Christian orders
  • Ordensbrudermember of certain Christian orders
Greek μοναχός
  • μοναχός (monachós)member of certain Christian orders
Hungarian barát
  • barátmember of certain Christian orders
Irish bráthair, coirneach
  • bráthairmember of certain Christian orders
  • coirneachmember of certain Christian orders
Italian frate
  • fratemember of certain Christian orders
Latin frater
  • fratermember of certain Christian orders
Polish zakonnik, brat
  • zakonnikmember of certain Christian orders
  • bratmember of certain Christian orders
Portuguese frade, frei
  • frademember of certain Christian orders
  • freimember of certain Christian orders
  • freiremember of certain Christian orders
Russian мона́х нищенствующего ордена
  • мона́х нищенствующего ордена (monáx niščenstvujuščevo ordena)member of certain Christian orders
Scottish Gaelic manach
  • manachmember of certain Christian orders
Spanish fraile
  • frailemember of certain Christian orders
Tagalog frayle
  • fraylemember of certain Christian orders

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with friar

firehigherpriorentirerequirebuyerhirewiresupplierempiredesiretireacquireinquireflyerdryerchoirinspireretireexpireshireaspiredireadmire
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

frierfryer
Cite this entry
APA

friar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/friar

MLA

“friar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/friar. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “friar,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/friar.

Source: friar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.