Acolyte

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæ.kə.laɪt/

Definitions

1. A person who assists in a religious ceremony or who follows and supports a leader or cause with great dedication
2. An individual who serves a religious function by helping a priest or other clergy while also denoting someone who is a devoted supporter or follower of a particular philosophy or leader
3. A person who contributes to a religious service through assisting in rituals and simultaneously refers to someone who ardently supports a movement or figure

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "akolouthos" simply meant "follower" or "attendant," someone who walked behind a superior. The word was built from "a," a prefix of togetherness, and "keleuthos," meaning path or road, so the sense was of someone who shares the same road. Its earliest English form arrived in Middle English as "acolite" or "acolit," borrowed through Old French "acolyt" from Late Latin "acolythus." The Latin and French forms carried the sense of attendance into the Church, where an acolyte became a person assisting a priest at the altar. That is the meaning the word keeps today, though the role is no longer just serving at Mass. In its religious setting, the word still points back to its original image: a figure who walks close behind someone in authority, ready to help.

Synonyms: assistant, helper, follower

Antonyms: leader, master