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  1. catechumen love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. One who is being taught the principles of Christianity.
  2. n. One who is being instructed in a subject at an elementary level.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. One who is under instruction in the first rudiments of Christianity; a neophyte. In the primitive church catechumens were the children of believing parents, or Jews or pagans not fully initiated in the principles of the Christian religion. They were admitted to this state by the imposition of hands and the sign of the cross, were divided into two or more classes, and in public worship were dismissed or retired to an outer court of the church before the liturgical or communion service.
  2. n. Figuratively, one who is beginning to acquire a knowledge of any doctrines or principles.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A convert to Christianity under instruction before baptism; a young Christian preparing for confirmation.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. (Eccl.) One who is receiving rudimentary instruction in the doctrines of Christianity; a neophyte; in the primitive church, one officially recognized as a Christian, and admitted to instruction preliminary to admission to full membership in the church.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a new convert being taught the principles of Christianity by a catechist

Etymologies

  1. From Old French catéchumène or ecclesiastical Latin catechumenus, from Ancient Greek κατηχούμενος (katēkhoumenos, "being instructed"), present participle passive of κατηχέω (katēkheō, "sound through, instruct orally, catechise"), from κατά (kata, "down") + ἠχή (ēkhē, "sound"). (Wiktionary)
  2. Middle English cathecumine, from Old French catechumene, from Latin catēchūmenus, from Greek katēkhoumenos, present passive participle of katēkhein, to instruct; see catechize. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “Any kind of water may serve as the matter of the sacrament, and the water is used to baptize the catechumen "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy”

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1: Aachen-Assize

  • “In many Christian faith communities, this occurs after a person has gone through the catechumen or baptismal classes to learn the basic of their beliefs.”

    Archive 2010-03-01

  • “And the Song of Songs puts me in mind of an embarrassing incident that occurred a few years back when I was still a catechumen.”

    Archive 2008-02-01

  • “Upon discovering that I was a catechumen, they asked me why I was converting, * so I began by saying, "A few years ago, I went looking for the Church.”

    Archive 2008-04-01

  • “This was my second year attending, but last year I was a catechumen.”

    Wyoming Youth Retreat 2007

  • “A catechumen of the Archdiocese of Hanoi, Bui Thanh Hieu, who writes under the pen name Nguoi Buon Gio, which means “Wind Trader” has been arrested and detained for criticising the Vietnamese government's distortion of the Pope's speech to the Vietnamese Bishops at their Ad Limina visit.”

    Solidarity with Vietnamese blogger

  • “VietCatholic news: Pope's speech distorted, catechumen, dissident bloggers arrested”

    Archive 2009-09-01

  • “Speaking as a Catholic catechumen, I would like to confirm that the Catholic Church does indeed not see its highest priority as placing children though as EV said, it is a high priority.”

    The Volokh Conspiracy » No Establishment Clause Violation in San Francisco’s Condemning the Catholic Church’s Refusal To Help With Adoptions by Same-Sex Couples:

  • “Papist, but such was the ignorance which Roland displayed upon some material points of the reformed doctrine, that Master Henderson, while praising his docility to the Lady Lochleven and her grandson, seldom failed to add, that his venerable brother, Henry Warden, must be now decayed in strength and in mind, since he found a catechumen of his flock so ill-grounded in the principles of his belief.”

    The Abbot

  • “At the age of 10 he became a catechumen and at 15 he joined the army, serving under the emperors Constantius and Julian.”

    November 11: Martin, Bishop of Tours (397)

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synonyms (1)

Words with the same meaning

  1. neophyte

hypernyms (3)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. student
  1. pupil
  1. educatee

reverse dictionary (7)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. catechumenate
  1. catechumenist
  1. believer
  1. catechumenship
  1. audient
  1. catechumenal
  1. proselyte

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  • madmouth if mispronounced, fun to say. catachoomin! cata-cumin! Nov 17, 2011

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‘catechumen’ has been looked up 1981 times, loved by 2 people, added to 19 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 19.