Religionist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who practices or advocates for a particular faith or belief system with strong conviction
2. An individual dedicated to the observance and promotion of a specific belief system or spiritual practice
3. Someone who is committed to the beliefs and practices of a specific faith tradition

Etymology: "Religionist" is a plain English formation: the noun "religion" with the suffix "-ist," which denotes a person who adheres to or practises something. The base word arrived in English through Middle English from Old French "religion," itself taken from Latin "religiō," a term for reverence toward the gods and scrupulous observance of ritual obligations. English gained "-ist" from Old French "-iste," which in turn came from Latin "-ista," with roots in Greek agent endings. The result is a word built from two pieces that were each already in use, so its meaning follows directly from them: someone devoted to a faith. Because "-ist" is so productive, English speakers have long been able to attach it to nouns for practitioners, adherents and specialists, and "religionist" belongs to that same pattern as words like "artist" and "violinist."

Synonyms: theologian, devotee, believer, sectarian, spiritualist

Antonyms: atheist, agnostic, skeptic, nonbeliever