Acolyte
//ˈæk.ə.laɪt// noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who has received the highest of the four minor orders in the Catholic Church, being ordained to carry the wine, water and lights at Mass.
- 2 someone who assists a priest or minister in a liturgical service; a cleric ordained in the highest of the minor orders in the Roman Catholic Church but not in the Anglican Church or the Eastern Orthodox Churches wordnet
- 3 An altar server.
"The kneeling acolyte chimed a sacring-bell, and the congregation bent and swayed like a wheat-field swept scross by sudden wind."
- 4 An attendant, assistant, or follower.
"“Apparently, one of Milius's acolytes spends a lot of time at the top of that huge, dangerous mountain. Better get climbing.” “(groans) Oh.”"
Example
More examples"The kneeling acolyte chimed a sacring-bell, and the congregation bent and swayed like a wheat-field swept scross by sudden wind."
Etymology
From Middle English acolite, acolit, from Old French acolyt and Late Latin acolythus, from Ancient Greek ἀκόλουθος (akólouthos, “follower, attendant”).
Related phrases
More for "acolyte"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.