as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
a votary of the religious leader
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
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
-
Its adherents promote terrorism and sabotage to incite a race war and to bring about social collapse.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
27 May 2026
-
And most of today’s Esperanto adherents are neither naïve nor even particularly batty.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
The backstory The Ritz-Carlton Maldives opening is bittersweet for followers of Kerry Hill, the late, venerated Australian architect responsible for some of the most legendary hotels in the last quarter-century (including several Aman properties and The Datai Langkawi).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
The Eternal Values promise Mierers lured followers in with discussions of enlightenment and mental clarity, often revolving around diet, exercise, celibacy, and the willingness to give up material possessions.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Ivan Juric failed, even as a Gasperini disciple, to provide continuity and struggled for credibility after his dismissals from Roma and Southampton last season.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
Join this session with Nelson Ng, who has been teaching tai chi since 2014 after learning the art from Master Gene Chen, a disciple of Grandmaster Feng ZhiQiang.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Votary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/votary. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
