Third Order: Meaning and Definition of

Third' Or'der

Pronunciation: [key]
— Rom. Cath. Ch. Rom. Cath. Ch.
  1. a branch of a religious order whose members are lay people following the avocations of a secular life.
  2. a member of a Third Order who follows its rule in the community under ordinary simple vows.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.