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Synonyms

millenarian

American  
[mil-uh-nair-ee-uhn] / ˌmɪl əˈnɛər i ən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a thousand, especially the thousand years of the prophesied millennium.

  2. of or relating to the millennium, especially of Christian prophecy, or millennialism.

    millenarian zeal.


noun

  1. a believer in the coming of the millennium.

millenarian British  
/ ˌmɪlɪˈnɛərɪən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a thousand or to a thousand years

  2. of or relating to the millennium or millenarianism

"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

noun

  1. an adherent of millenarianism

"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

Other Word Forms

  • millenarianism noun

Etymology

Origin of millenarian

First recorded in 1545–55; millenary + -an

Explanation

Anything millenarian relates to the Christian idea that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will bring 1000 years of peace and joy. A millennium is a thousand years, so anything millenarian relates to one thousand years — but not any thousand years. This is a specifically Christian concept relating to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In some sects of the Christian religion, it's believed that the return of Jesus will lead an amazing new era that will last a thousand years. These are millenarian ideas, and they're part of millenarian theology. A novel based on these ideas could be called millenarian fiction.

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Vocabulary lists containing millenarian

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 Jehovah's Witnesses are a nontrinitarian millenarian restorationist Christian denomination.

From Reuters • Oct. 29, 2023

In the 1880s a wagon train of Dutch-German Mennonites, burning with millenarian fever, set out to meet Jesus on far side of the Caucasus.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2022

The appeal to a mystical, millenarian identity helped unite the fractious Turkic tribes and Ismail was able to bring all of Persia under his rule in a short amount of time.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

They have pointed to her "monotone voice" and framed her as a "millenarian weirdo" with the "look of apocalyptic dread in her eyes."

From Scientific American • Aug. 9, 2019

In these days of table-turnings, mesmerisms, spirit- rappings, odyle fluids, and millenarian pamphlets selling 80,000 copies among our best-educated classes, we must be allowed to doubt.

From Froude's Essays in Literature and History With Introduction by Hilaire Belloc by Belloc, Hilaire