messianism

[ mes-ee-uh-niz-uhm, muh-sahy-uh- ]

noun

1. (often initial capital letter) the belief in the coming of the Messiah, or a movement based on this belief.
2. the belief in a leader, cause, or ideology as a savior or deliverer.

Other Words From

• messi·a·nist Messi·a·nist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of messianism¹

1875–80; < Late Latin Messīān-, stem of Messīās Messiah + -ism

Example Sentences

This is what scholar John Gager has called “the myth of the Maccabees” and it contributes to later forms of messianism that optimistically believed that they too could throw off the shackles of foreign domination.

From The Daily Beast

This big-budget adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel about messianism, interplanetary struggle, and ecological plunder is a corrective of sorts to David Lynch’s renowned misfire.

From The Daily Beast

In Israel, cynicism actually means flirting with messianism: annex, sigh, annex, sigh, and join in hymns to the land of Israel.

From The Daily Beast

There is no fervent messianism like that of the settler rabbis, no secular militarism like that of Zeev Jabotinsky.

From The Daily Beast

But for Microsoft, the marketing messianism is more than fun and games.

From The Daily Beast

Or are they gripped by some kind of apocalyptic delusion, some dream of messianism achieved by global destruction?

From The Daily Beast