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devotee

American  
[dev-uh-tee, -tey] / ˌdɛv əˈti, -ˈteɪ /

noun

  1. a person who is greatly devoted to something.

  2. a person who is extremely devoted to a religion; a follower.

  3. an enthusiastic follower or fan.

    He's a devotee of jazz.


devotee British  
/ ˌdɛvəˈtiː /

noun

  1. a person ardently enthusiastic about or devoted to something, such as a sport or pastime

  2. a zealous follower of a religion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See fanatic.

Etymology

Origin of devotee

First recorded in 1635–45; devote + -ee

Explanation

Devotee is a fancy word for "fan." Some people are superfans of Katy Perry. Others save their love and adoration for Mozart. Either way, they are huge devotees of the musicians they love. People are called devotees because they're particularly devoted to something. Be it hot yoga, fluffy cats or chocolate cake, a devotee is an ardent follower. In the traditional sense this word was reserved for the extremely devout, who were devoted to their religion. But these days you can be a devotee of just about anything.

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Vocabulary lists containing devotee

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Devotee Bill Carey, Slate’s senior director for strategy, notes that the price is also a major selling point: “They’re cheap enough that it wouldn’t be devastating if I accidentally dropped and broke them.”

From Slate • Jul. 22, 2019

Donated by Loser and Style Invitational Devotee Kathleen Delano, who sanely declined to model them for the readers of The Washington Post.

From Washington Post • Aug. 16, 2018

Confessions of a John le Carré Devotee I read all 23 of le Carré’s novels.

From Slate • May 8, 2013

The only drawback, as jogging Devotee Judy Schwartz, 28, noted, "is that people think you are nuts."

From Time Magazine Archive

Mrs. Eleanor Marie Dantzler, the wife of Mr. Devotee Dantzler, the company-store manager, started to plan her winter piano recital, an annual social event.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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