Nun vs. Postulant — What's the Difference?

Lives a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Engaged in a period of discernment.

Part of a religious community.

At the initial stage of religious life.

Has taken formal vows.

Without formal vows.

Engages in spiritual and community services.

Someone exploring the possibility of becoming a nun.

A committed member of a religious order.

Learning about the community's charism.

A nun is a member of a religious community of women, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery. Communities of nuns exist in numerous religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism, and Taoism.

A postulant (from Latin: postulare, to ask) was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a Christian monastery or a religious order for the period of time preceding their admission into the novitiate.The term is most commonly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, and the Anglican Communion (which includes the Episcopal Church, which uses the term to designate those who are seeking ordination to the diaconate or priesthood.

A member of a religious community of women, typically one living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

A person submitting a request or application; a petitioner.

Any of a number of birds whose plumage resembles a nun's habit, especially an Asian mannikin.

A candidate for admission into a religious order.

A woman who belongs to a religious order or congregation devoted to active service or meditation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

(religion) A person seeking admission to a religious order.

The 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. See Table at alphabet.

A person who submits a petition for something; a petitioner.

A member of a Christian religious community of women who live by certain vows and usually wear a habit, those living together in a cloister.

One who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate.

(by extension) A member of a similar female community in other confessions.

One submitting a request or application especially one seeking admission into a religious order

A prostitute.

A kind of pigeon with the feathers on its head like the hood of a nun.

The fourteenth letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).

A woman devoted to a religious life, who lives in a convent, under the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

A white variety of domestic pigeons having a veil of feathers covering the head.

The 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, corresponding in pronunciation to n.

The 25th letter of the Arabic alphabet, corresponding in pronunciation to n.

A woman religious

A buoy resembling a cone

The 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet

To become a nun, one must undergo a process of discernment and formation, starting as a postulant, then a novice, and finally taking solemn vows.

The duties of a nun vary by order but generally include prayer, community living, and service aligned with the order’s charism.

Being a nun means having made a permanent commitment to a religious life of poverty, chastity, and obedience within a specific community.

A postulant is an individual at the beginning stage of joining a religious community, engaging in a period of learning and discernment.

Practices vary by order; some postulants may wear a modified habit or a specific garment signifying their status.

The process can take several years, involving stages of postulancy, novitiate, and temporary vows before taking permanent vows.

A novice is the stage following postulancy, involving deeper integration into the community and beginning formal spiritual formation.

Individuals may be motivated by a sense of spiritual calling, desire for a life of service, or attraction to a particular community’s way of life.

Yes, the postulancy period is for discernment, allowing both the individual and the community to decide if a life in the order is the right path.

Yes, during the postulancy, individuals are free to leave if they or the community feel the fit is not right.

Not all nuns are cloistered; some belong to active orders that engage directly in ministry work outside of the convent.

Nuns contribute through prayer, education, healthcare, social work, and other ministries, depending on their order's focus.

The length and structure of the postulancy period vary among different religious orders.

If not accepted, the individual may seek another community or reconsider their vocation outside of religious life.