Mormonite

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A person who belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ; an adherent who follows the religious teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith
2. Someone who practices the faith of the Latter-day Saints ; a believer who accepts the doctrines founded by Joseph Smith
3. An individual affiliated with the Mormon church ; a devotee who upholds the scriptures and beliefs originating with Joseph Smith

Etymology: "Mormonite" is formed from "Mormon" and the suffix "-ite," the familiar Greek-derived ending meaning a follower or adherent of someone or something. "Mormon" itself is the name of the Book of Mormon, the scripture the Latter-day Saint movement holds as sacred, and the name is tied to the prophet Mormon who, in that text, compiled and abridged the ancient records it describes. The suffix does the work here. English has long attached "-ite" to a founder's or leader's name to label a group, so a Mormonite is simply someone associated with the Mormon movement. The construction follows the same pattern as older group names, which makes the term a transparent coinage rather than an word with a complicated history of its own. Because the word is built directly from two English parts, its meaning stayed close to its roots. It names people who belong to, or are identified with, the Mormon faith rather than naming an idea or object that drifted over time.

Synonyms: Mormon, Latter-day Saint