catechumenate
/ˌkætɪˈkjuːməneɪt/
catechumenate means the state or condition of a catechumen, or the time during which one is a catechumen. It carries an Arena rating of 1255, earned across 60 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, catechumenate ranks #904 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #4,309 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #5,701 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #7,378 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
catechumenate is pronounced /ˌkætɪˈkjuːməneɪt/.
Why “catechumenate” is a great word
CATECHUMENATE — [Noun] The state, period, or group of persons undergoing formal instruction and preparation for Christian baptism. From catechumen (from the Greek κατηχούμενος (katēkhoumenos), meaning "one being instructed") + the English suffix -ate (denoting a state, function, or office). Unlike a catechism, which is the text or method of instruction, or a novitiate, which is a probation for joining a religious order, the catechumenate is the liminal passage of the unbaptized. It is the hushed intensity of a night class for the soul, the scrutinies conducted in the bare weeks of Lent, and the palpable, anxious hope of the vigil on Holy Saturday—a formalized season of waiting at the threshold of grace, where belief leans forward toward a promised water.
Etymology
From catechumen + -ate.
noun
- The state or condition of a catechumen, or the time during which one is a catechumen.
- A group or body of catechumens
- The building where catechumenates gather.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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