The term mendicant refers to begging or relying on charitable donations, and is most widely used for religious followers or ascetics who rely exclusively on charity to survive.

In principle, mendicant orders or followers do not own property, either individually or collectively, and have taken a vow of poverty, in order that all their time and energy could be expended on preaching their religion or way of life and serving the poor.

Many religious orders adhere to a mendicant way of life, including the Catholic mendicant orders, Hindu ascetics, and monastic schools of Buddhism where the mendicant tradition still survives, particularly in many Southeast Asian countries where Theravada Buddhism is practised. Buddhist Pali scriptures use the term bhikku for mendicant.

See also

• Itinerant
• Groo the Wanderer

Religious behaviour and experience