Make Your Point > Archived Issues > APOSTATE
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pronounce
APOSTATE:
Say it "uh POSS tate."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
As we check out the word apostate today, see if you can recall another word that means "a person who turns their back on a commitment:" re___er.
Hint: it's related to renegade, negate, and negative.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Apostate" traces back to a Greek word meaning "a rebellion or a desertion." Its roots literally mean "a standing away."
In English, an apostate is a person who turns their back on their religion, country, morals, or beliefs.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Usually a noun, the countable kind: "They're apostates."
Also an adjective: "their apostate views."
Other forms:
Apostates; apostatize, apostatized, apostatizing.
For a noun, pick between "apostatism" and "apostasy."
There are some rare adjectives: "apostatic" and "apostatical."
how to use it:
Pick the formal, serious, somewhat rare word "apostate" either to label someone who left their religion, or, more loosely, to label someone who left some group or cause that reminds you of a religion.
You might refer to a single person as an apostate, or talk about apostates in general as a group. Here's Time: "Renoir became one of [Impressionism's] first apostates." And here's the Washington Post: "Ardent followers and angry apostates both regard religious tradition with awe."
examples:
"[Frank Stella is] one of art's great apostates, a man who abandoned a faith he helped to establish."
— Richard Lacayo, Time, 29 October 2015
"One by one, former church members recount their involvement in the Church [of Scientology] with a mix of shame, puzzlement and resignation. 'I was really stupid,' says Academy Award-winner Paul Haggis, one of Scientology's most famous apostates. 'I was part of this for 30 years before I spoke out...Why didn’t I do it earlier?'"
— Darragh McNicholas, Salon, 18 April 2015
has this page helped you understand "apostate"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "apostate" without saying "deserter" or "turncoat."
try it out:
If you want to sound especially serious or emphatic, then instead of calling someone an "ex-fan," you might call them an "apostate" instead.
Here's an example from Alessandra Stanley in the New York Times:
"'The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!'... doesn't make too big a deal of one of the most innovative, influential and irresistibly irreverent shows in the history of television... Mostly it's a typical half-hour of animated lunacy and a reminder to apostates of why they loved the show in the first place."
First, talk about why ex-fans of a show like The Simpsons might be called "apostates" instead of just "ex-fans." Then, see if you can give another example of a fandom whose ex-members might be called "apostates," and why.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Crossword Clues: Movie Titles!
Use the movie title as a clue to come up with a word we've studied. For example, if the clue is "The Great Escape. 6 letters. _ E C _ M _," then the answer is "DECAMP," a word meaning "to get the heck out of there." To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
Some Like It Hot.
6 letters.
_ O _ _ _ D
review this word:
A. COMMIT.
B. CLARIFY.
C. COLORIZE.
2.
According to the Daily Beast, the "Google Apostasy" was a 2012-ish phenomenon that involved _____ in Mormon membership, as information about the religion and its flaws became easier for members to access.
A. a plateau
B. a sharp decline
C. an explosion of interest
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
As we check out the word apostate today, see if you can recall another word that means "a person who turns their back on a commitment:" re___er.
"Apostate" traces back to a Greek word meaning "a rebellion or a desertion." Its roots literally mean "a standing away."
Part of speech:
Pick the formal, serious, somewhat rare word "apostate" either to label someone who left their religion, or, more loosely, to label someone who left some group or cause that reminds you of a religion.
"[Frank Stella is] one of art's great apostates, a man who abandoned a faith he helped to establish."
Explain the meaning of "apostate" without saying "deserter" or "turncoat."
If you want to sound especially serious or emphatic, then instead of calling someone an "ex-fan," you might call them an "apostate" instead.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
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