Revivalists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals or groups advocating for the revitalization of a particular movement or belief system
2. Practitioners engaged in reinvigorating traditional practices or doctrines within a community or faith
3. Advocates focused on renewing interest and promoting participation in a specific cultural or religious phenomenon

Etymology: "Revivalist" is built from "revival" and the suffix "-ist," which marks a person who practises or adheres to something. The suffix came into English through Middle English from Old French "-iste," which in turn descends from Latin "-ista" and ultimately from Ancient Greek "-istēs," a agent-forming ending found in words for practitioners, such as "artist" and "pianist." "Revival" is the older part of the pair. It comes from the verb "revive," which traces back through Old French and Latin to a root meaning "to live again," with the prefix "re-" meaning "back" or "again" attached to the Latin "vivere," "to live." Attaching "-ist" to "revival" produced a term for people who work to bring something back to life, whether a religious tradition, a set of doctrines, or an older custom within a community.

Synonyms: restorers, renewers, revivers