theologian

T1H4E1O1L1O1G2I1A1N1
US/ˌθi.əˈloʊd͡ʒən/UK/ˌθi.əˈləʊd͡ʒən/

noun

A specialist in academic theology.

“Seminarians are usually divided into philosophers and theologians, depending on their stage of formation.”

Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

nountheologian (plural theologians)

plural theologians

  1. A specialist in academic theology.

    Of all the theologians of his age, Hooker was the most unpuritan; […]

    1861, John Tulloch, English Puritanism and its leaders, page 29
    2 more examples

    During a burping contest to celebrate wonderfully cold soft drinks after a long hike one hot afternoon, one little girl said, "My dad can outburp any of you!" Her father is a distinguished theologian and church leader whom I will not name here.

    1999, Diana S. Richmond Garland, Family ministry: a comprehensive guide, page 45

    Cone, who once called himself “the angriest theologian in America,” is still angry. […] Niebuhr’s decision not to speak out against lynching encouraged other white theologians and ministers to follow suit, Cone said, because Niebuhr was considered the nation’s greatest theologian.

    2018 April 30, John Blake, “Remembering the theologian who took on the hypocrisy of the white church”, in CNN
  2. colloquialSomeone who studies theology.

    Seminarians are usually divided into philosophers and theologians, depending on their stage of formation.

  3. A theological lecturer attached to a cathedral church.

    Synonyms: theologus

  4. ChristianityA person who has a personal knowledge of God through prayer, asceticism, and mystical experience.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA theological lecturer attached to a cathedral church.

Similar
Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounsomeone who is learned in theology or who speculates about theology

Broader
scholarscholarly person

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchtheologien
  2. Englishtheologian

From Old French theologien, equivalent to theology + -an.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans teoloog
  • teoloogspecialist in theology
Ancient Greek θεολόγος
  • θεολόγος (theológos)specialist in theology
Arabic عَالِم لَاهُوت, لَاهُوتِيّ
  • عَالِم لَاهُوت (ʕālim lāhūt)specialist in theology
  • لَاهُوتِيّ (lāhūtiyy)specialist in theology
Bulgarian богослов, теолог
  • богослов (bogoslov)specialist in theology
  • теолог (teolog)specialist in theology
Catalan teòleg, teòloga
  • teòlegspecialist in theology
  • teòlogaspecialist in theology
Chinese Mandarin 神學家 /神学家
  • 神學家 /神学家 (shénxuéjiā)specialist in theology
Czech teolog, teoložka
  • teologspecialist in theology
  • teoložkaspecialist in theology
Danish teolog
  • teologspecialist in theology
Dutch theoloog, theologe
  • theoloogspecialist in theology
  • theologespecialist in theology
Esperanto teologo, teologino
  • teologospecialist in theology
  • teologinospecialist in theology
Finnish teologi
  • teologispecialist in theology
French théologien, théologienne
  • théologienspecialist in theology
  • théologiennespecialist in theology
German Theologe, Theologin
  • Theologespecialist in theology
  • Theologinspecialist in theology
Greek θεολόγος
  • θεολόγος (theológos)specialist in theology
Hungarian teológus
  • teológusspecialist in theology
Irish diagaire
  • diagairespecialist in theology
Italian teologo, teologa
  • teologospecialist in theology
  • teologaspecialist in theology
Japanese 神学者
  • 神学者specialist in theology
Korean 신학자
  • 신학자 (sinhakja)specialist in theology
Latin theologus
  • theologusspecialist in theology
Norwegian Bokmål teolog
  • teologspecialist in theology
Polish teolog, teolożka
  • teologspecialist in theology
  • teolożkaspecialist in theology
Portuguese teólogo, teóloga
  • teólogospecialist in theology
  • teólogaspecialist in theology
Russian богосло́в, тео́лог
  • богосло́в (bogoslóv)specialist in theology
  • тео́лог (teólog)specialist in theology
Slovak teológ, teologička
  • teológspecialist in theology
  • teologičkaspecialist in theology
Spanish teólogo, teóloga
  • teólogospecialist in theology
  • teólogaspecialist in theology
Swahili mwanatheolojia
  • mwanatheolojiaspecialist in theology
Swedish teolog
  • teologspecialist in theology
Tagalog dalubbathala, dalub-bathala
  • dalubbathalaspecialist in theology
  • dalub-bathalaspecialist in theology
Turkish ilahiyatçı
  • ilahiyatçıspecialist in theology
Ukrainian теолог, богосло́в
  • теолог (teoloh)specialist in theology
  • богосло́в (bohoslóv)specialist in theology
Welsh diwinydd
  • diwinyddspecialist in theology
Yiddish טעאָלאָג, טעאָלאָגין
  • טעאָלאָג (teolog)specialist in theology
  • טעאָלאָגין (teologin)specialist in theology
Cite this entry
APA

theologian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/theologian

MLA

“theologian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/theologian. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “theologian,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/theologian.

Source: theologian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.