communicant

plural communicants

1. ChristianityA person who receives (or is allowed to receive) the elements (i.e., bread and wine) of the sacrament of Holy Communion. (Compare also these terms: communion, Communion, Lord's Supper, Mass, Eucharist, Divine Liturgy.)

   1706 August 30, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preached at the funeral of Mr. Bennett a never-failing monthly communicant

   2 more examples

   Meanwhile, the lass grew up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I have heard Dr. Chrystal say that he never had a communicant more full of the things of the Spirit.

   1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

   The folded hands and submissive posture of the orderly line of communicants.

   1986 December 14, Don Hill, “For Gay and Lesbian Catholics, Perseverance Means Carving Their Own Niche”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 22, page 8

2. One who communicates.

   partakers communicant with the bodie of Christ

   1563 March 30 (Gregorian calendar), John Foxe, Actes and Monuments of These Latter and Perillous Dayes, […], London: […] Iohn Day, […], →OCLC

   2 more examples

   Each was a messenger and communicant with a special branch of knowledge.

   1974, John Boorman, Zardoz, London: Pan Books, page 94

   These cyberforums are asynchronous; that is, contributors post (i.e., publish a text message) without the need for fellow communicants to be online at the same time.

   2013, Al Cooper, Sex and the Internet: A Guide Book for Clinicians, page 215

1. not comparableCommunicating.

   The co-eternal Son of the living God, incarnate, tempted, crucified, resurgent, communicant of his spirit, ascendant, and obtaining for his church the descent of the Holy Ghost.

   c. 1828, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Notes on Field on the Church