Meanings
alternative OFM
- CatholicismThe religious order of friars established by St Francis of Assisi.
Synonyms: Franciscan Order, Seraphic Order, Franciscans, Minorites, Friars Minor, Greyfriars
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe religious order of friars established by St Francis of Assisi.
Origin
- Medieval LatinOrdo Fratres Minores“the Order of Lesser Brothers”
- EnglishOrder of Friars Minor
A calque of Medieval Latin Ordo Fratres Minores (“the Order of Lesser Brothers”), chosen by Francis of Assisi to inculcate humility in its members.
More words from Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Order of Friars Minor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Order%20of%20Friars%20Minor
“Order of Friars Minor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Order%20of%20Friars%20Minor. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Order of Friars Minor,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Order%20of%20Friars%20Minor.
Source: Order of Friars Minor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.