catechumen

[ kat-i-kyoo-muh n ]
/ ˌkæt ɪˈkyu mən /

noun

Ecclesiastical. a person under instruction in the rudiments of Christianity, as in the early church; a neophyte.
a person being taught the elementary facts, principles, etc., of any subject.

Origin of catechumen

1325–75; < Late Latin catēchūmenus < Greek katēchoúmenos (one who is) being taught orally, equivalent to katēche-, stem of katēcheîn to teach orally (see catechist) + -omenos middle present participle suffix; replacing Middle English cathecumyn < Middle French cathecumine < Late Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM catechumen

cat·e·chu·me·nal, cat·e·chu·men·i·cal [kat-i-kyoo-men-i-kuh l] /ˌkæt ɪ kyuˈmɛn ɪ kəl/, adjective cat·e·chu·men·i·cal·ly, adverb cat·e·chu·me·nate [kat-i-kyoo-muh-neyt, -nit] /ˌkæt ɪˈkyu məˌneɪt, -nɪt/, noun cat·e·chu·men·ism, noun

British Dictionary definitions for catechumen

catechumen
/ (ˌkætɪˈkjuːmɛn) /

noun

Christianity a person, esp in the early Church, undergoing instruction prior to baptism

Derived forms of catechumen

catechumenal or catechumenical (ˌkætəkjʊˈmɛnɪkəl), adjective catechumenate, noun catechumenism, noun

Word Origin for catechumen

C15: via Old French, from Late Latin, from Greek katēkhoumenos one being instructed verbally, from katēkhein; see catechize