Main Entry: mes·si·a·nism

Pronunciation: \ˈme-sē-ə-ˌni-zəm; mə-ˈsī-ə-, me-\

Function: noun

Etymology: French messianisme, from messie messiah + -anisme (as in christianisme Christianity)

Date: 1867

1 : belief in a messiah as the savior of humankind
2 : religious devotion to an ideal or cause