acolyte
noun
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
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 19 June 2025
But as controversial as the HIMYM finale remains, it's also garnered its fair share of acolytes and admirers, especially as fans have gone back and rewatched the series, picking up on clues that it was meant to be Tracy all along.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 June 2025
Beginning in 1980, Mr. Biederman, an acolyte of Mr. Whyte, followed Mr. Whyte’s recommendations by making the park physically more accessible to passers-by, beefing up the maintenance and security crews, and creating a roster of programs that would draw people into the park.
—Yuvraj Khanna, New York Times, 16 May 2025
For Adolf Hitler’s acolytes, the home was the microcosm of the nation, and mothers were its keepers.
—Seyward Darby, Vogue, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for acolyte
Cite this Entry
“Acolyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acolyte. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
acolyte
noun
Share