messianism

noun

mes·​si·​a·​nism ˈme-sē-ə-ˌni-zəm 

mə-ˈsī-ə-, 

me-

1

: belief in a messiah as the savior of humankind

2

: religious devotion to an ideal or cause

Examples of messianism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ads conveyed just enough Silicon Valley messianism to be believable, and just enough absurdity to be funny. — Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Political messianism is a style of leadership that places great faith in a single leader who is endowed with godlike attributes. — Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026

What about trying to win by winning, rather than win by some act of tactical messianism. — Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 17 Mar. 2026

Writers and thinkers in America’s privileged classes resurrected, to some profit, the political messianism that their European counterparts had abandoned. — Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for messianism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism