Salvationists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals committed to the mission of spreading religious beliefs and offering spiritual rescue through faith
2. devotees of a movement that emphasizes the importance of spiritual redemption and charity
3. members of an organization focused on saving souls and providing humanitarian assistance in communities across various regions

Etymology: The most striking thing about "salvationists" is how recent its core idea is compared with the older word it grew from. "Salvation" entered English through Old French "salvacion" from Latin "salvātiōn-", a noun built on "salvāre", "to save", itself from "salvus", "safe, whole, unharmed," which also gave English "salve" and "safe." The Latin root meant physical safety long before it meant spiritual rescue. The newer piece is the suffix. "Salvationist" is formed from "salvation" plus "-ist," a suffix that came into English from Old French "-iste" and ultimately from Greek "-istēs," used to name a person who practises or follows something. A salvationist is therefore literally one who follows salvation, or who works for it. The "-s" at the end of "salvationists" simply makes the word plural, so it names a whole group of such people.