messiah

mes·si·ah

noun \mə-ˈsī-ə\

Definition of MESSIAH

1

capitalized a : the expected king and deliverer of the Jews b : jesus 1

2

: a professed or accepted leader of some hope or cause

— mes·si·ah·ship \-ˌship\ noun

Examples of MESSIAH

1. They thought the new principal was the messiah the school had been hoping for.

Origin of MESSIAH

Hebrew māshīaḥ & Aramaic mĕshīḥā, literally, anointed

First Known Use: 1560

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

Rhymes with MESSIAH

Aglaia, papaya, pariah, Thalia