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Glite Dictionary
⛪ A full lay member 🔢 About numbers 👥 An official member
numerary

numerary

1 9.9
A full member of some Catholic groups who usually does not marry and follows strict rules
  • noun
  • /ˈnjuːmɪˌnɛri/
  • Jargon
translation icon : numerario

Examples

  • To combat the spate of bad publicity, the Vatican has gone as far as hiring a former Fox News reporter who happens to be an Opus Dei numerary to be one of its official PR flacks.

    Blog text (25)

  • A numerary in Opus Dei commits to a life of celibacy and strict adherence to the organization's guidelines.

  • The numeraries live together in community centers, supporting each other in their spiritual journeys.

  • Many numeraries participate in outreach programs to help spread the teachings of Opus Dei.

Surface Forms

numerary singular
numeraries plural

Etymology

Numerary originally meant someone who is 'counted' as part of a group, from the root numer- 'number'. In some Catholic groups, like Opus Dei, a numerary is a full member who is officially one of the community and lives by its rules.