zealot

noun

zeal·​ot ˈze-lət How to pronounce zealot (audio)
1
: a zealous person
especially : a fanatical partisan
a religious zealot
2
capitalized : a member of a fanatical sect arising in Judea during the first century a.d. and militantly opposing the Roman domination of Palestine

Did you know?

In the 1st century A.D., a fanatical sect arose in Judaea to oppose the Roman domination of Palestine. Known as the Zealots, they fought their most famous battle at the great fortress of Masada, where 1,000 defenders took their own lives just as the Romans were about to storm the fort. Over the years, zealot came to mean anyone who is passionately devoted to a cause. The adjective zealous may describe someone who's merely dedicated and energetic ("a zealous investigator", "zealous about combating inflation", etc.). But zealot (like its synonym fanatic) and zealotry (like its synonym fanaticism) are used disapprovingly—even while Jews everywhere still honor the memory of those who died at Masada.

Examples of zealot in a Sentence

zealots on both sides of the issue resorted to name-calling and scare tactics
Recent Examples on the Web Fans willing to overlook the obvious vapidity of director Rob Reiner, a hostile Democrat-progressive zealot, prove that some conservatives are bamboozled by liberalism’s kindly pretense. Armond White, National Review, 21 Feb. 2024 But the realistic alternative to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is probably a regime that remains quite repressive—and is far less committed to empowering women, curbing religious zealots, and otherwise making the country a more open, tolerant place. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 The celebrity romance story line even entered the political realm as right-wing zealots spread lies about the game being rigged to boost the vaccine-promoting Kelce and Swift, who has expressed support for President Biden in the past. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024 By Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware / Made by History February 5, 2024 9:00 AM EST For over a decade, an ever-growing array of zealots advocating violence and sedition have been given practically free rein on social media platforms. TIME, 5 Feb. 2024 There’s the trial of a Sámi woman, Kari, in seventeenth-century Finnmark; of a young religious zealot named Marie-Catherine Cadière, in eighteenth-century France; and of a twentieth-century politician, Bereng Lerotholi, in Basutoland, in present-day Lesotho. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 For over a decade, an ever-growing array of zealots advocating violence and sedition have been given practically free rein on social media platforms. TIME, 5 Feb. 2024 The rules are tailored to allow any zealot, anywhere, to challenge any book at any time. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2024 Prudes are going to be prudish, so no point in trying to appease them in a show that’s all about the havoc that’s wrought when human biology is denied by moralistic zealots. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zealot.' 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

Late Latin zelotes, from Greek zēlōtēs, from zēlos

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of zealot was in 1537

Dictionary Entries Near zealot

Cite this Entry

“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zealot. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

zealot

noun
zeal·​ot ˈzel-ət How to pronounce zealot (audio)
: a zealous person
especially : an overly zealous supporter

More from Merriam-Webster on zealot

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