Meanings
plural chiliasts
- typically derogatoryChristianitySynonym of millenarian: a person who believes the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will involve his physical rule on Earth for 1000 years.First known use 1611
... Agreed on all sides, except the Chiliasts...
1611, William Sclater, A Key to the Key of Scripture..., page 3241 more example
All Anabaptists were and are still Chiliasts, expounding literally that Kingdome of a thousand years of Revel. xx. 6 to be a temporall Kingdome.
1647, anonymous author, A Short History of the Anabaptists, page 52Synonyms: millenarian
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of millenarian: a person who believes the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will involve his physical rule on Earth for 1000 years.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who believes in the coming of the millennium (a time of great peace and prosperity)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekχιλιαστής
- Frenchchiliaste
- Latinchiliasta
- Englishchiliast
From Latin chiliasta, possibly via French chiliaste, from Ancient Greek χιλιαστής (khiliastḗs), from χῑ́λιοι (khī́lioi, “thousand”) + -αστής (-astḗs, “-ast, -ist: forming agent nouns”). Equivalent to chilia- + -ast.
More words from Latin, French, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
chiliast. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chiliast
“chiliast.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chiliast. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chiliast,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chiliast.
Source: chiliast on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.