1. Plural of juniorat; a period of training or a school for junior members of a religious community, especially in the Catholic Church.
Usage: religious context; primarily Catholic usage

Examples

• The juniorates prepared young candidates for entry into the priesthood.
• Many religious orders maintained juniorates to educate their younger members.
• She spent three years in the juniorat before advancing to the novitiate.
• The juniorates focused on academic and spiritual formation.
• Several juniorates were established throughout Europe in the 19th century.