Biblicist

/ˈbɪblɪˌsɪst/ noun

Definition

A person who adheres strictly to the Bible as the ultimate authority; someone who practices biblicism or biblical literalism.

Etymology

From 'biblic-' plus the suffix '-ist' (a person who practices or advocates). This term emerged alongside 'biblicism' in 19th-century theological debates about scriptural interpretation.

Kelly Says

A 'biblicist' sounds like it should mean 'someone who studies the Bible,' but it actually means someone with a specific ideology—it's a label with attitude built in. Language often hides political positions inside seemingly neutral words.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.