messianic

adjective

mes·​si·​an·​ic ˌme-sē-ˈa-nik How to pronounce messianic (audio)
1
: of or relating to a messiah
this messianic kingdom
2
: marked by idealism and an aggressive crusading spirit
messianic zeal
on a messianic mission

Examples of messianic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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When and how this messianic revolution would come about was up for debate and speculation, but large segments of the population, based on specific prophecies in the Hebrew Bible, believed that the time was at hand. Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025 Much was remarkable about the event—the huge turnout, the alternating notes of forgiveness and retribution, the generally messianic atmosphere—but something that Pete Hegseth, the Fox host turned Pentagon chief, said onstage stood out to me. Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025 Cosmists who believed in technology as a messianic force clashed not just with the Svyatogor camp, but also with the communists, whose guiding ideology of Marxism-Leninism was predicated on the dismantling of age-old social systems to establish a novel world order. Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025 Students of economic history are familiar with President Theodore Roosevelt's messianic trust-busting and the command economy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Senior Fellow, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for messianic

Word History

Etymology

probably from French messianique, from messianisme

First Known Use

circa 1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of messianic was circa 1794

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Cite this Entry

“Messianic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messianic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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