Bezpopovets

noun

Bez·​po·​po·​vets

ˌbes-pə-ˈpȯ-vəts,

ˌbez-

plural Bezpopovtsy

ˌbes-pə-ˈpȯft-sē,

ˌbez-

: a member of a Raskolnik priestless sect in Russia compare popovets

Word History

Etymology

Russian, from bez without (from Old Russian) + popov- (plural stem of pop priest, from Old High German pfaffo, from Gothic papa, from Late Greek papas, from Greek, father) + -ets, agent suffix; akin to Old Slavic & Polish bez without, Lithuanian bè, Sanskrit bahis outside

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!