Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who submits a formal request or application: Specifically, a "postulant" is someone who formally asks or applies for something, often as a preliminary step.
   • A candidate for admission into a religious order: Most commonly, a "postulant" refers to an individual who is seeking entry into a religious community (like a monastery or convent) and is undergoing a period of initial probation and instruction before becoming a novice.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • After years of contemplation, she became a postulant at the Carmelite convent.
  • The postulant submitted his application to the seminary, hoping to begin his formal training.

Advanced Usage

• "Postulancy": The state or period of being a postulant.
  • Her postulancy lasted for one year before she was accepted as a novice.
• In broader contexts: While rare, "postulant" can be used more generally for any serious candidate or petitioner in a formal process.
  • He was a postulant for the prestigious scholarship, having submitted all required documents.

Variants and Related Words

• Postulate (verb): To suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of something as a basis for reasoning. (Note: This is a related but distinct word from "postulant").
• Postulation (noun): The act of postulating or the thing postulated; a formal request or application.

Synonyms

• Candidate: A person who applies for a job or is nominated for election.
• Applicant: A person who makes a formal application for something.
• Aspirant: A person who has ambitions to achieve something.
• Petitioner: A person who presents a petition to an authority in respect of a particular cause.

Notes on Meaning

The core meaning of "postulant" is intrinsically linked to the act of formal, often solemn, application. Its most frequent and specific use is within religious contexts. It is a formal term and is not typically used in everyday conversation.

Noun

1. one submitting a request or application especially one seeking admission into a religious order