postulant

The word 'postulant' originates from the Latin verb postulare, meaning 'to ask, demand, or claim'. This verb itself is of uncertain origin, though it may be related to poscere, another Latin verb meaning 'to ask urgently'. The suffix -ant was added to form the Latin noun postulans, meaning 'one who asks or demands'. In ecclesiastical Latin, this term was adopted to specifically denote a candidate formally asking for admission into a religious community. This literal sense of 'one who petitions' evolved into the modern English meaning, referring both to a petitioner in general and, more specifically, to a candidate for religious vows.

Structure: postul (to ask, to demand) + ant (one who does) 'postul' is from Latin postulare (to ask, demand, claim). 'ant' is an English suffix from Latin -antem, forming agent nouns meaning 'one who performs an action'.