Idolaters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Those who worship idols and engage in the veneration of physical representations of deities are known as practitioners of idolatry
2. Individuals characterized by their devotion to and reverence for images or representations of divine beings participate in this particular form of worship
3. A group of people who express deep religious devotion by honoring statues or icons that symbolize their gods practice this unique faith

Etymology: "Idolaters" is the plural of "idolater," a person who worships idols. The singular came into English from Middle French "idolatre," which in turn came from Latin "idololatra," a word that combined the Latin for image or idol with the Greek-derived element for worship. Before this borrowing, English had its own term for the same idea, Old English "dēofolġielda," which literally meant "devil worshiper." The Latin-based word displaced it, so the older English phrasing vanished from everyday use. The plural simply names more than one such worshiper. Note that the definition you supplied describes people who honor statues or icons as symbols of their gods, and the word has long been used by outsiders to describe such practices, often in a critical sense, which is worth bearing in mind when you encounter it.

Synonyms: worshippers, adorers, devotees

Antonyms: atheists, nonbelievers, detractors