Meanings
plural Old Believers
- lifestyleAny of those who separated from the official Russian Orthodox Church after 1666 as a protest against the church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652 and 1666. They continue liturgical and ritual practices which predate the reforms.
Synonyms: Old Ritualist, Raskolnik, Rascolnik · Antonyms: Nikonite, Nikonian
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of those who separated from the official Russian Orthodox Church after 1666 as a protest against the church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652 and 1666. They continue liturgical and ritual practices which predate the reforms.
Origin
- Russianстарове́р
- EnglishOld Believer
Calque of Russian старове́р (starovér).
More words from Russian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Esperanto malnovritano, malnovritanino
- malnovritanobeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- malnovritaninobeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
Finnish starovertsi, vanhauskoinen
- starovertsibeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- vanhauskoinenbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
French vieux-croyant, vieille-croyante
- vieux-croyantbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- vieille-croyantebeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- vieux-ritualistebeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- vieille-ritualistebeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
German Altgläubiger, Altgläubige
- Altgläubigerbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- Altgläubigebeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- Altgläubigentumbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
Indonesian Pemercaya Lama
- Pemercaya Lamabeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
Latvian vecticībnieks
- vecticībnieksbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
Lithuanian séntikis, séntikė
- séntikisbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- séntikėbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
Polish staroobrzędowiec, staroobrzędówka
- staroobrzędowiecbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- staroobrzędówkabeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- starowierbeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- starowiercabeliever in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
Russian старообря́дец, старообря́дка
- старообря́дец (staroobrjádec)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- старообря́дка (staroobrjádka)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- старове́р (starovér)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- старове́рка (starovérka)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- раско́льник (raskólʹnik)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- раско́льница (raskólʹnica)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
Ukrainian старообря́дець, старообря́дка
- старообря́дець (staroobrjádecʹ)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- старообря́дка (staroobrjádka)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- старообря́дник (staroobrjádnyk)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
- старообря́дниця (staroobrjádnycja)believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
Cite this entry
Old Believer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Believer
“Old Believer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Believer. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Old Believer,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Believer.
Source: Old Believer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.