jesuit
/'dʤezjuit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A member of the Society of Jesus: A Roman Catholic religious order of priests founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, known for its work in education, missionary activity, and scholarship.
Adjective (Jesuitical):
- Characteristic of Jesuits or their principles or methods: Often used to describe something related to the intellectual, educational, or spiritual approach of the Jesuit order. In a broader, sometimes pejorative sense, it can connote cunning or casuistic reasoning.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- The university was founded by a Jesuit in the 16th century.
- He studied under the guidance of a learned Jesuit.
Adjective:
- The school is known for its rigorous Jesuit education.
- His argument was criticized for being overly subtle and Jesuitical.
Advanced Usage
- "Jesuitical reasoning": Refers to complex, subtle, and sometimes perceived as overly clever or deceptive argumentation, stemming from historical controversies about Jesuit moral theology (casuistry).
- The politician's Jesuitical defense failed to convince the public.
Variants and Related Words
- Jesuitical (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of Jesuits; often implies subtle or equivocal reasoning.
- Jesuitism (n): The system, principles, or practices of the Jesuits.
- Society of Jesus: The full name of the Jesuit order.
Synonyms
- Noun: Member of the Society of Jesus.
- Adjective (in the pejorative sense): Casuistic, sophistic, cunning, equivocal.
Idioms and Phrases
- "To be a Jesuit": Can be used literally to mean being a member of the order, or figuratively to suggest someone who is very clever, disciplined, or perceived as scheming.
- He argued his case like a Jesuit, leaving no logical loophole.
Adjective
- having qualities characteristic of Jesuits or Jesuitism
- Jesuitical education
Noun
- a member of the Jesuit order