What do we call a member of a mendicant order?

The story behind the answer

Mendicant orders—like the Franciscans and Dominicans—called their members fratres (brothers), which became the English term. They embraced radical poverty, owning no property and living on alms (from Latin mendicare, “to beg”), so they could preach, teach, and serve among urban populations. This set them apart from monks, who typically lived a cloistered, self-sufficient monastic life; a novice is merely a trainee; and “priest” denotes ordination, not a distinct way of life.

Emerging in the 13th century amid booming cities and reform movements, these orders became intellectual powerhouses—think Thomas Aquinas among the Dominicans—and were central to universities and preaching campaigns. Their itinerant ministry made them some of the most visible church figures in medieval towns.