Disciple

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /dɪˈsaɪ.pəl/

Definitions

1. A devoted follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosophical system who learns and spreads their teachings
2. A learner devoted to studying and advancing the teachings of an established master or belief system
3. One who commits to following and promoting the doctrines of a revered instructor or leader

Etymology: Disciple comes from Latin "discipulus," meaning "pupil" or "learner," a noun built on "discere," "to learn." That Latin root also gave English "discipline," and the two words share a family resemblance: both began as ideas about being taught. The Old English form "discipul" arrived early, appearing in the language long before the Norman Conquer­or's French influence reshaped much of the vocabulary. In Middle English the word was reinforced by Old French "deciple," which is why the spelling and sound drifted in several directions at once. Scholars of the period used the term for anyone who followed a teacher's instruction, whether a schoolboy or a religious follower, so its meaning in English stayed close to its Latin sense for centuries. The word's most famous use, to describe the twelve followers of Jesus, came through Christian writing, and it is that religious sense that most readers now associate with it first. The broader modern meaning, a devoted student of any master or belief, grew naturally out of that long tradition of learning at a teacher's side.

Synonyms: follower, student, adherent, pupil, believer

Antonyms: leader, opponent, critic, detractor, enemy