mendicant
/ˈmɛn.dɪ.kənt/adjective, noun
mendicant is spelled M-E-N-D-I-C-A-N-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 76,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, mendicant means “Depending on alms for a living” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in mendicant?
| Letters | 9: M-E-N-D-I-C-A-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 7 million words; the 76,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is mendicant?
Mendicant appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 76,798th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce mendicant?
- US /ˈmɛn.dɪ.kənt/
Mendicant has 3 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-mendicant.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of mendicant
- mendicants plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mendicant mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Depending on alms for a living.
- 2
Of or pertaining to a beggar.
- 3
Of or pertaining to a member of a religious order forbidden to own property, and who must beg for a living.
noun
- 1
A pauper who lives by begging.
- 2
A religious friar, forbidden to own personal property, who begs for a living.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mendicant in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mendiant |
| German | Bettel- , Bettler , Bettelmönch |
| Portuguese | mendicante , mendigo |
| Spanish | mendicante , mendigo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does mendicant come from?
From Middle English mendicant, from Latin mendīcāns, present participle of mendīcō (“beg”). Compare French mendiant.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).