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postulancy

postulancy

9.9
A period when someone tries to join a group, especially a religious community, before becoming a member
  • noun
  • /ˈpɑːstjələnsē/
  • Jargon
translation icon : postulantado
  • During her postulancy, Maria learned about the values of the order.

Examples

  • The club requires a period of postulancy before granting official membership.

  • During his postulancy, he participated in all group activities to demonstrate his commitment.

  • Her postulancy at the organization lasted six months before she became a full member.

  • The postulancy lasts for six months before the final decision.

  • The postulancy lasted for six months before she fully committed to the religious order.

  • During her postulancy, she learned about the values and responsibilities of being a nun.

  • Entering the postulancy was a significant step in his journey toward becoming a member of the community.

Antonyms

156 2.7

Being part of a group or club

How Advanced

tertianship
  • Jargon
9.9
noviciate
  • Specialized
9.9
postulancy
  • Jargon
9.9

Surface Forms

postulancy singular
postulancies plural

Morphology

postulancy = postulant (transparent) = postul + ancy

Formed from 'postulant' (a candidate) with the noun-forming suffix '-ancy' indicating the state or period of being a postulant, so the meaning is predictable from the base.

Etymology

Postulancy comes from the Latin verb postulare meaning 'to ask'. It names the time when someone is asking to join a group, so a person's postulancy is the period they are a candidate before becoming a full member.