catechumen

UK: /ˌkætɪˈkjuːmɛn/ US: (kat′i kyo̅o̅′mən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cat•e•chu•men  (kat′i kyo̅o̅′mən), n. 

1. Religion [Eccles.] a person under instruction in the rudiments of Christianity, as in the early church; a neophyte.
2. Religion a person being taught the elementary facts, principles, etc., of any subject.

• Late Latin, as above
• Middle French cathecumine
• 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
• Late Latin catēchūmenus
• 1325–75

cat′e•chu′me•nal, cat•e•chu•men•i•cal  (kat′i kyo̅o̅ men′i kəl), adj.  cat′e•chu•men′i•cal•ly, adv. 
cat•e•chu•me•nate  (kat′i kyo̅o̅′mə nāt′, -nit), n.  cat′e•chu′men•ism, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

catechumen / ˌkætɪˈkjuːmɛn/ noun

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

Etymology: 15th Century: via Old French, from Late Latin, from Greek katēkhoumenos one being instructed verbally, from katēkhein; see catechize