acolyte

noun

ˈa-kə-ˌlīt How to pronounce acolyte (audio)
Definition of acolytenext
as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another a highly influential economist whose acolytes can be found at many major universities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 acolyte In May, Jenna Lyons will bring a group of acolytes to Milan, while food writer Rebekah Peppler will lead a culinary tour of the French Riviera. — Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 6 May 2026 Richard Pryor, a Bruce acolyte, eventually concluded after a visit to Africa in 1979 that repeating the n-word hadn’t diluted it at all. — Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 6 June 2026 Over the years, Smith has done only a select handful of collaborations with his acolytes, such as Chvrches, the Twilight Sad, Crystal Castles, Gorillaz, and Tweaker. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026 Among those acolytes is Lucien (Jérémy Gillet), a reedy, repressed young virgin who yearns to be part of the gay community but hasn’t the courage to come out to his domineering mother Christine (Elisabeth Wiener), who also just happens to be the country’s very right-wing health minister. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for acolyte
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acolyte
  1. adherent
  2. follower
  3. disciple
Noun
  • Many liberals had been disciplined to adopt methods that purported to strictly confine legal interpretation, only to discover that their most prominent adherents, whether covertly or unconsciously, had other plans.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
  • Bridgers is a strict adherent to Attenborough’s Law.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
Definition of adherent
Noun
  • The mom of two shares videos and photos of her fashion creations and her daughters wearing them with over 29,000 TikTok followers.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • In 1776, the year the Declaration of Independence was signed, Quakers made a formal stance against slavery, prohibiting followers of the faith from engaging in the institution.
    — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of follower
Noun
  • The text is a philosophical treatise on ethics and human moral progress, and the final column revealed the name Aristocreon, a nephew and disciple of the Stoic philosopher Chrysippus.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026
  • Back in his coaching career, Cruyff was one of the first managers to be obsessed with the cut of the pitch — a trait that has passed over to his disciples, most notably the exacting Pep Guardiola.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of disciple

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acmes
acolyte
acolytes
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Cite this Entry

“Acolyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acolyte. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on acolyte

Nglish: Translation of acolyte for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about acolyte

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