Word Study
catechumen
CIDE DICTIONARY
catechumen, n. [L. catechumenus, Gr. kathchoy`menos instructed, from kathchei^n. See Catechise.].
One who is receiving rudimentary instruction in the doctrines of Christianity; a neophyte; in the primitive church, one officially recognized as a Christian, and admitted to instruction preliminary to admission to full membership in the church. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
catechumen, n. a Christian convert under instruction before baptism.
Etymology
ME f. OF catechumene or eccl.L catechumenus f. Gk katekheo: see CATECHIZE
THESAURUS
catechumen
Christian, God-fearing man, abecedarian, accepter, alphabetarian, apprentice, articled clerk, baby, beginner, believer, boot, brother, church member, churchgoer, churchite, churchman, churchwoman, communicant, convert, daily communicant, deb, debutant, devotee, devotionalist, disciple, entrant, fanatic, fledgling, follower, freshman, good Christian, greenhorn, greeny, ignoramus, inductee, infant, initiate, laic, lay brother, lay sister, layman, laywoman, learner, neophyte, nestling, new boy, newcomer, novice, novitiate, parishioner, pietist, postulant, probationer, probationist, proselyte, raw recruit, receiver, recruit, religionist, rookie, saint, secular, sister, tenderfoot, theist, trainee, truster, tyro, votary, zealotROGET THESAURUS
catechumen
Laity
N laity, flock, fold, congregation, assembly, brethren, people, society, temporality, secularization, layman, civilian, parishioner, catechumen, secularist, secular, lay, laical, civil, temporal, profane.Learner
N learner, scholar, student, pupil, apprentice, prentice, journeyman, articled clerk, beginner, tyro, amateur, rank amateur, abecedarian, alphabetarian, alumnus, eleve, recruit, raw recruit, novice, neophyte, inceptor, catechumen, probationer, seminarian, chela, fellow-commoner, debutant, intern, resident, schoolboy, fresh, freshman, frosh, junior soph, junior, senior soph, senior, sophister, sophomore, questionist, undergraduate, graduate student, law student, medical student, pre-med, post-doctoral student, post-doc, matriculated student, part-time student, night student, auditor, class, grade, seminar, form, remove, pupilage, disciple, follower, apostle, proselyte, fellow-student, condisciple, school, in statu pupillari, in leading strings, practise makes perfect.For further exploring for "catechumen" in Webster Dictionary Online