Meaning & use
catechumenate
Last updated
The period, process, or institutional status of formal instruction given to a catechumen preparing for baptism or full membership in a church.
See it in a sentence
Candidates spend months in the catechumenate, studying scripture before their baptism at Easter.
The early Christian church developed a structured catechumenate to prepare converts for full participation in worship.
A note on using this word
The word derives from "catechumen," a Greek-rooted term for a person receiving religious instruction, and remains chiefly used in Christian, especially Catholic, contexts.
Words with a similar meaning
catechesis
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