Demivotary

/ˌdɛmɪˈvoʊtəri/ noun

Definition

A person who is partially or half-devoted to a religious faith, cause, or pursuit; a lukewarm follower or believer.

Etymology

From 'demi-' (half) + 'votary' (a devoted follower), where 'votary' comes from Latin 'votum' (a vow or wish). The prefix 'demi-' indicates incompleteness or partial commitment.

Kelly Says

Shakespeare and other Renaissance writers used 'demivotary' to describe people who were wishy-washy about their beliefs—it's basically the original word for someone who's 'spiritual but not religious'!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

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