mil·le·nar·i·an
ˌmi-lə-ˈner-ē-ən 
1
a
: of or relating to belief in a millennium
2
: of or relating to 1000 years
: one that believes in a millennium
Examples of millenarian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Elbridge Colby, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2020
At first, the Communists were scarcely distinguishable from the millenarian sects that had arisen during other periods of state dysfunction in Chinese history.
—Nick Frisch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2017
The United States' millenarian notions of a national destiny and the militarism that has infected American society have been responsible for a series of wars from which Washington has gained little or nothing, and suffered a great deal, while contributing enormously to the misfortune of others.
—William Pfaff, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2010
The latter — driven by an apocalyptic, millenarian creed — had embarked on a frenzy of killing, torture, grisly execution and abductions of civilians from communities of supposed apostates and enemies.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Many rebellions against China’s official rulers came from millenarian groups and religious cults that sprang up among the oppressed.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
Carlson is practically millenarian.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 16 Sep. 2021
America, in his presidency, was an assertive participant in the world—beating back communist encroachment in Latin America and calling the Soviets’ bluff in the Cold War arms race—but without George W. Bush’s millenarian overreach.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 13 Jan. 2023
The fundamentalist mind-set is apocalyptic and millenarian.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2022
Yuri Slezkine, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
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Adjective
This false, millenarian hope raises unrealistic expectations rather than preparing Americans for sustained engagement and competition in world politics.
—Elbridge Colby, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2020
At first, the Communists were scarcely distinguishable from the millenarian sects that had arisen during other periods of state dysfunction in Chinese history.
—Nick Frisch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2017
The United States' millenarian notions of a national destiny and the militarism that has infected American society have been responsible for a series of wars from which Washington has gained little or nothing, and suffered a great deal, while contributing enormously to the misfortune of others.
—William Pfaff, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2010
The latter — driven by an apocalyptic, millenarian creed — had embarked on a frenzy of killing, torture, grisly execution and abductions of civilians from communities of supposed apostates and enemies.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Many rebellions against China’s official rulers came from millenarian groups and religious cults that sprang up among the oppressed.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
Carlson is practically millenarian.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 16 Sep. 2021
America, in his presidency, was an assertive participant in the world—beating back communist encroachment in Latin America and calling the Soviets’ bluff in the Cold War arms race—but without George W. Bush’s millenarian overreach.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 13 Jan. 2023
The fundamentalist mind-set is apocalyptic and millenarian.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2022
Noun
In his view, the early Bolsheviks—a closed group of compulsive readers, prolific writers, and utopian thinkers—were an apocalyptic sect, fervent and coercive proselytizers Slezkine likens to various millenarians, such as Münster Anabaptists or Branch Davidians.
—Yuri Slezkine, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near millenarian
Cite this Entry
“Millenarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millenarian. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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