messianic
Britishadjective
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(sometimes capital) Bible
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of or relating to the Messiah, his awaited deliverance of the Jews, or the new age of peace expected to follow this
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of or relating to Jesus Christ or the salvation believed to have been brought by him
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of or relating to any popular leader promising deliverance or an ideal era of peace and prosperity
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of or relating to promises of this kind or to an ideal era of this kind
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Other Word Forms
- messianically adverb
- messianism noun
Explanation
Use the adjective messianic to describe something that has to do with a messiah, or savior, especially a religious one. In Judaism, a messianic figure is predicted to appear in the future, and in Christianity that messianic role is filled by Jesus Christ. You can also describe a more earthbound savior as messianic — you might say that after a long, hot soccer match, your mom's arrival with a cooler full of water bottles seems almost messianic. The adjective comes from the noun messiah, which has an Aramic root, meshiha, or "the anointed of the Lord."
Vocabulary lists containing messianic
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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.
The family that Emanuel had fractured through neglect and obsession was about to convert his messianic vision into a quarter-billion-dollar business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
The frontman took umbrage at Jackson presenting himself as a messianic figure, protecting hundreds of children, calling the display "distasteful and crap".
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
In South Africa, Isaiah Shembe's followers say he received orders from God in 1913 to found the Nazareth Baptist Church, and many view him as a messianic figure.
From Barron's • Dec. 25, 2025
Ten thousand years later, Paul Atreides will become the messianic hero of “Dune.”
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2024
His most important question was whether the mercurial and messianic Teller could manage anybody.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
