Dictionary

catechumen en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌkæt.ɪˈkjuː.mɛn/ (UK)
• /ˌkæt.əˈkju.mən/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English cathecumynys pl, from Middle French cathecumin (modern French catéchumène) or Ecclesiastical Latin catēchūmenus, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek κατηχούμενος (katēkhoúmenos, “being instructed”), present participle passive of κατηχέω (katēkhéō, “sound through, instruct orally, catechise”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἠχή (ēkhḗ, “sound”).

Meanings

1. A student of Christian doctrine who studies it for the purpose of adopting it: either a convert to Christianity under instruction before baptism or a young or recent Christian preparing for confirmation.
   • Here in this room an old man had killed and boiled a catechumen, had committed sodomy with a rat, had discussed a rodent nunhood with V., a future saint – depending which story you listened to. 1963, Thomas Pynchon, V.:

Forms

Coordinates

catechist

Deriveds

catechumenist · catechumenism · catechumenate · catechumenal · catechumenship

Relateds

catechesis · catechization · catechize · catechisation · catechetics · catechise · catechism

Translations (42)

it catecumena (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · cmn 望教者 (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · bg новопокръстен (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · cmn 望教的人 (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · pl katechumen (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · es catecúmena (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · nb katekumen (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · ca catecúmena (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · mk катихумен (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · de Taufbewerberin (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · cmn 慕道友 (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · sv katekumen (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · eo kateĥumenino (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · eo katekumeno (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · nl doopleerling (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · pt catecúmeno (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · it catecumeno (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · id katekumen (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · ja 洗礼志願者 (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · pl katechumenka (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · fr catéchumène (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · pt catecúmena (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · eo kateĥumeno (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · nn katekumen (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · ca catecumen (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · eo katekumenino (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · de Taufbewerber (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · io katekumeno (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · fi katekumeeni (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · de Katechumene (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · es catecúmeno (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · la catēchūmenus (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · cmn 慕道者 (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · de Katechumenin (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · mk огласен (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · ja 求道者 (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · ru новообращённый (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · la catēchūmena (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · ru новообращённая (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · nl catechumeen (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · sw mkatekumeni (convert to Christianity prior to baptism) · da katekumen (convert to Christianity prior to baptism)