zealot

noun

zeal·​ot ˈze-lət How to pronounce zealot (audio)
1
: a zealous person
especially : a fanatical partisan
a religious zealot
2
capitalized : a member of a fanatical sect arising in Judea during the first century a.d. and militantly opposing the Roman domination of Palestine

Did you know?

In the 1st century A.D., a fanatical sect arose in Judaea to oppose the Roman domination of Palestine. Known as the Zealots, they fought their most famous battle at the great fortress of Masada, where 1,000 defenders took their own lives just as the Romans were about to storm the fort. Over the years, zealot came to mean anyone who is passionately devoted to a cause. The adjective zealous may describe someone who's merely dedicated and energetic ("a zealous investigator", "zealous about combating inflation", etc.). But zealot (like its synonym fanatic) and zealotry (like its synonym fanaticism) are used disapprovingly—even while Jews everywhere still honor the memory of those who died at Masada.

Examples of zealot in a Sentence

zealots on both sides of the issue resorted to name-calling and scare tactics
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The film directed by Kim A Snyder and executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker examines attempts by librarians in Florida and Texas and elsewhere to combat book banning efforts, while simultaneously facing unhinged attacks from right wing zealots accusing them of grooming children. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 June 2025 Masterpiece Theater Matthew Fraser November 30, 2022 Climate activist attacks on works by van Gogh, Vermeer, and other art world titans are the latest in a tradition of destruction that hearkens to the early Christian zealots. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025 The fearmongering from the fake news media and globalist zealots who espouse free markets but have seldom experienced one miss the mark on why President Trump is fighting for American manufacturing workers. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 Ten years ago this month, a 21-year-old misfit who imagined himself a white supremacist zealot walked casually through the unlocked door of the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in the South. Kevin Sack, Time, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for zealot

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin zelotes, from Greek zēlōtēs, from zēlos

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of zealot was in 1537

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Cite this Entry

“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zealot. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

zealot

noun
zeal·​ot ˈzel-ət How to pronounce zealot (audio)
: a zealous person
especially : an overly zealous supporter

More from Merriam-Webster on zealot

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