Theist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈθiːɪst/

Definitions

1. A person who believes in the existence of a deity or deities and typically practices a religion based on that belief
2. An individual who subscribes to the belief in at least one god or deity, often engaging in worship or religious customs
3. A person who holds the conviction that a divine being exists, usually participating in religious traditions that reflect this faith

Etymology: The suffix does most of the work here. English "-ist" came into the language through Middle English from Old French, which had taken it from Latin "-ista", itself borrowed from Greek "-istēs", a suffix that marked someone who practises or follows something. Attaching it to Greek "theos", "god", produces a person defined by their practice or belief in a god. The form has a fitting history of its own. Ancient Greek already had "theistēs" as a native formation, but English "theist" was built fresh in English from the Greek parts, so it is a word assembled by English speakers rather than one inherited intact from antiquity. The stem "theos" is one of the oldest in the family, tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root for a supreme sky-god, which is why it reappears so readily in English words like "theology" and "monotheism". Its shape in "theist" is simple: the god, followed by the follower.

Synonyms: believer, religious person, faithful, worshipper, devotee

Antonyms: atheist, agnostic, nonbeliever, skeptic, doubter