plural votaries
1
a
: devotee
b
: a devoted admirer
2
a
: a devout or zealous worshipper
b
: a staunch believer or advocate
3
archaic
: a sworn adherent
Synonyms
Examples of votary in a Sentence
a votary of the religious leader
Recent Examples on the Web
But the fate of the votary is to require and receive a constant renewal of faith.
—
Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
Many remember the Cultural Revolution as a time of Red Guard excess—of the people terrorizing the votaries of the party.
—Mary Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2023
The Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker has long been a loud votary of progress.
—Samuel Moyn, The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2018
Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
Many remember the Cultural Revolution as a time of Red Guard excess—of the people terrorizing the votaries of the party.
—Mary Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2023
The Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker has long been a loud votary of progress.
—Samuel Moyn, The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'votary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin votum vow
First Known Use
1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near votary
Cite this Entry
“Votary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/votary. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
votary
noun
vo·ta·ry
ˈvōt-ə-rē 
plural votaries
: a devoted follower
especially
: a devout or eager worshipper
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share