as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
a votary of the religious leader
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Recent Examples of votary
His account of the violent neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party evokes antipathy: votaries of the far right have murdered immigrants and leftists, built deep links to Greek law enforcement that give greater latitude to their thuggery, and gained modest representation in the parliament.
—
Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
But the fate of the votary is to require and receive a constant renewal of faith.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
The Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker has long been a loud votary of progress.
—Samuel Moyn, The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2018
Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
But the fate of the votary is to require and receive a constant renewal of faith.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
The Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker has long been a loud votary of progress.
—Samuel Moyn, The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for votary
Noun
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Before nuclear technology even existed, there was nuclear utopianism, and the physicist Leo Szilard was its first serious adherent.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
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Aleph and other Jewish chaplaincy groups say the chaplaincy system is being undermined by the Messianic movement, whose adherents may identify as Jews but are not recognized as such by any denomination of Judaism.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On Friday, some of her followers made the trek to the mural only to find that the logo had already been painted over with a lighter shade of purple.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
17 Mar. 2026
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And speaking with Jon Weinstein, the National Hockey League’s chief communications officer, SI noted that the league’s social media pages exploded with new followers.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike Jesus’s followers who doubted his resurrection, crypto’s true disciples aren’t losing faith.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
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In Acts, the disciple Paul endures several imprisonments, turning to God for strength and divine intervention.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Votary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/votary. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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