French Conversation · Level 140
30 words
French word
jésuite
Pronunciation
IPA/ʒezɥit/
Meaning
- masculine nounJesuit
Example
Hier, j'ai parlé avec un jésuite.
Yesterday, I spoke with a Jesuit.
More examples
Un jésuite nous a aidés à organiser la réunion.
A Jesuit helped us organize the meeting.
Core concept
A robed member of a teaching and missionary order, carrying religious learning from the schoolroom into the wider world.
Similar words
père: A respectful term used in Catholicism when addressing a priest.
prêtre: A person who leads church services and offers guidance to the faithful.
religieux: A member of a religious order who follows a dedicated religious life.
moine: A monk who lives in a monastery, focusing on prayer and daily work.
Definition in French
Personne appartenant à la Compagnie de Jésus, un ordre religieux catholique, engagée dans la vie religieuse, l'enseignement ou les missions.
Word origin
The French noun jésuite comes through Italian gesuita from Latin Iesuita, a member of the Societas Iesu, or Society of Jesus.
Usage tips
- In figurative use, jésuite can describe someone regarded as cunning or excessively subtle, so context distinguishes this sense from the religious one.