acolyte

noun

ac·​o·​lyte ˈa-kə-ˌlīt How to pronounce acolyte (audio)
-kō-
plural acolytes
1
: a person who assists a member of the clergy in a liturgical service by performing minor duties
2
a
: a person who attends or assists a leader
The mayor and some acolytes dined at their usual spot.
b
: disciple, pupil
… he studied acting with … an acolyte of the famed acting teacher …Evelyn Theiss
c
: fan, devotee
For acolytes of the craze, such high-brow bottles are worth the hefty price.BostonGlobe.com
… consistently sells out arenas … and inspires a generation of young acolytesThe Northland Age (New Zealand)

Did you know?

Follow the etymological path of acolyte back far enough and you'll arrive at kéleuthos, a Greek noun that means "path" and that is itself the parent of akólouthos, an adjective that means "following." Akólouthos traveled from Greek, leaving offspring in Medieval Latin and Anglo-French; its English descendant, acolyte, emerged in the 14th century. Originally, acolyte was exclusively a term for a person who assisted a priest at Mass, but by the 19th century, the word had acquired additional meanings, among them "attendant body, satellite" (a meaning used in astronomy) and "attendant insect" (a zoological sense), as well as the general meaning "assistant" or "sidekick."

Examples of acolyte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Readers still should have the context that the same group of far right Trump acolytes have launched 7 different recall attempts against the governor since he's taken office, each of which have failed spectacularly. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025 Read More: Donald Trump’s Disruption Is Back To critics, Trump’s nominations reflect another impulse: to install obedient, often inexperienced, acolytes who will acquiesce to his demands to turn the government into an instrument for his own self-interest. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 20 Jan. 2025 Hosted by the cultural critic Wesley Morris, the series layers musical analysis of Wonder’s songs and insightful interviews with industry colleagues and acolytes. Marnie Shure, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024 Republican Kari Lake, a Trump acolyte who recently lost her bid for U.S. Senate, is reportedly a top contender to serve as U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for acolyte 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acolite, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French acolit, borrowed from Medieval Latin acolūthus, acolythus, acolitus, going back to Late Latin, "person assisting the priest," borrowed from Middle Greek akólouthos, going back to Greek, "following, (as noun) follower, attendant," from a- (variant, before a following aspirate consonant, of ha- "having one, having the same," going back to Indo-European *sm̥-, akin to Greek heîs "one," homós "same") + -kolouthos (ablaut form, in a compound, of kéleuthos "path," of uncertain origin) — more at same entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of acolyte was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Acolyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acolyte. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

acolyte

noun
ac·​o·​lyte ˈak-ə-ˌlīt How to pronounce acolyte (audio)
: a person who assists a member of the clergy in a service

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