Definition of "catechumen" []

• One who is being taught the principles of Christianity. (noun)
• One who is being instructed in a subject at an elementary level. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Any kind of water may serve as the matter of the sacrament, and the water is used to baptize the catechumen "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy"
• "In many Christian faith communities, this occurs after a person has gone through the catechumen or baptismal classes to learn the basic of their beliefs."
• "And the Song of Songs puts me in mind of an embarrassing incident that occurred a few years back when I was still a catechumen."