acolyte

[ ak-uh-lahyt ]

noun

1. an altar attendant in public worship.
2. Roman Catholic Church.
   1. a member of the highest-ranking of the four minor orders.
   2. the order itself. Compare exorcist ( def 2 ), lector ( def 2 ), ostiary ( def 1 ).
3. any attendant, assistant, or follower.

acolyte

/ ˈækəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a follower or attendant
2. Christianity an officer who attends or assists a priest

Word History and Origins

Origin of acolyte¹

1275–1325; Middle English acolite < Medieval Latin acolytus < Greek akólouthos follower, attendant, equivalent to a- prefix denoting association + -kolouthos, variant of kéleuthos road, journey

Word History and Origins

Origin of acolyte¹

C16: via Old French and Medieval Latin from Greek akolouthos a follower

Example Sentences

“Carson the Magnificent” is the offering of an acolyte who saw in Carson, as many did, a man who “launched the dreams of generations, as no golden Hollywood dream merchant might have fathomed, even in metaphor. Never a movie star, he shone maybe bigger anyhow.”

From Los Angeles Times

This year alone Disney+ has pulled Star Wars spin-off The Acolyte after one season, alongside Paramount Plus cancelling Halo and Max pulling Tokyo Vice.

From BBC

"I wouldn't say I was a friend of hers, I was an acolyte, and she allowed me to be so."

From BBC

Some gained real-world influence: Sean Feucht, a Christian singer who led massive COVID-era worship events across the country, as well as a pro-Israel counterprotest at Columbia University this past spring, is an acolyte of the movement.

From Slate

“The Acolyte” was among “Star Wars’” most ambitious on-screen stories.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• follower