acolyte

noun

ac·​o·​lyte ˈa-kə-ˌlīt How to pronounce acolyte (audio)
-kō-
plural acolytes
1
: a person who assists a member of the clergy in a liturgical service by performing minor duties
2
a
: a person who attends or assists a leader
The mayor and some acolytes dined at their usual spot.
b
: disciple, pupil
… he studied acting with … an acolyte of the famed acting teacher …Evelyn Theiss
c
: fan, devotee
For acolytes of the craze, such high-brow bottles are worth the hefty price.BostonGlobe.com
… consistently sells out arenas … and inspires a generation of young acolytesThe Northland Age (New Zealand)

Did you know?

Follow the etymological path of acolyte back far enough and you'll arrive at kéleuthos, a Greek noun that means "path" and that is itself the parent of akólouthos, an adjective that means "following." Akólouthos traveled from Greek, leaving offspring in Medieval Latin and Anglo-French; its English descendant, acolyte, emerged in the 14th century. Originally, acolyte was exclusively a term for a person who assisted a priest at Mass, but by the 19th century, the word had acquired additional meanings, among them "attendant body, satellite" (a meaning used in astronomy) and "attendant insect" (a zoological sense), as well as the general meaning "assistant" or "sidekick."

Examples of acolyte in a Sentence

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.
In so many ways, we shouldn’t be surprised at this latest announcement coming from the Trump EPA, led by Lee Zeldin, a former supporter of climate change action turned Trump acolyte. Dr. Mark A. Boyer, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2025 People who’ve gotten an invitation, a group that appears to be composed largely of influencers adjacent to and acolytes of CEO Elon Musk, use an app to call for a ride, similar to ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft. David Ingram, NBC news, 5 July 2025 The winner was Fox News host and MAGA acolyte Mark Levin, who has repeatedly called for the Trump administration to abandon nuclear talks with Tehran and give Israel the green light to strike Iran. Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025 Monaco knew the shop would be closed that day, and the singer was on tour, but as a car and motorcycle nut and a Billy Joel acolyte, this shrine to both was a must-see. Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for acolyte

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acolite, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French acolit, borrowed from Medieval Latin acolūthus, acolythus, acolitus, going back to Late Latin, "person assisting the priest," borrowed from Middle Greek akólouthos, going back to Greek, "following, (as noun) follower, attendant," from a- (variant, before a following aspirate consonant, of ha- "having one, having the same," going back to Indo-European *sm̥-, akin to Greek heîs "one," homós "same") + -kolouthos (ablaut form, in a compound, of kéleuthos "path," of uncertain origin) — more at same entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of acolyte was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Acolyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acolyte. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

acolyte

noun
ac·​o·​lyte ˈak-ə-ˌlīt How to pronounce acolyte (audio)
: a person who assists a member of the clergy in a service

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