acolyte

[ak-uh-lahyt]

noun

1. an altar attendant in public worship.

2. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. a member of the highest-ranking of the four minor orders.

   2. the order itself.

3. any attendant, assistant, or follower.

acolyte

/ ˈækəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a follower or attendant

2. Christianity an officer who attends or assists a priest

Word History and Origins

Origin of acolyte¹

1275–1325; Middle English acolite < Medieval Latin acolytus < Greek akólouthos follower, attendant, equivalent to a- prefix denoting association + -kolouthos, variant of kéleuthos road, journey

Word History and Origins

Origin of acolyte¹

C16: via Old French and Medieval Latin from Greek akolouthos a follower

Example Sentences

His intellectual bravado has always attracted disciples and acolytes, notably his cultlike following at Cambridge, where he taught in the 1930s and ’40s.

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But she branded and marketed it with gusto, spawning media accolades, celebrity acolytes, controversy — and a recent federal conviction for forced-labor conspiracy.

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For “One Battle After Another,” Anderson, an acolyte of “The French Connection,” wanted VistaVision for its toothy texture and lush but less-than-clean picture.

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His acolyte Curt Mills boasts of being a “hater” of Israel and says Israel is “wagging the dog” of American politics.

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No stirring during the break after the first movement as members of the local New National Theatre Chorus walked on stage with the ceremonial slow gliding movements of acolytes in a temple.

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Related Words

• follower