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

Whatever happens, the deeper truth is that the more time passes, the harder it is going to be for anyone - even the most gifted of Macron acolytes - to set up a stable government.

From BBC

So, plenty of talented acolytes filled the void McLachlan left during her lengthy hiatus, and “it was really an easy shift for me to step out of the limelight,” she admits.

From Los Angeles Times

For Albers acolytes, there are some incredible details in the new Loewe collection.

From Los Angeles Times

“Either @realDonaldTrump and his acolytes fueled the rumors of the significance of these Epstein files to help his campaign, or something is there,” Veasy said in a social media post.

From Salon

While Elon Musk has departed the Department of Government Efficiency, the world’s richest man is leaving a network of acolytes embedded inside nearly every federal agency.

From Salon

Related Words

• follower