ascensionist
|a-scen-sion-ist|
/əˈsɛnʃənɪst/
one who rises or promotes rising
Etymology
'ascensionist' originates from Latin, specifically from the verb 'ascendere' (from prefix 'ad-' meaning 'toward' + root 'scandere' meaning 'to climb'), via the noun 'ascension' and the English suffix '-ist' meaning 'one who'.
'ascensionist' changed from the Late Latin/Old French noun 'ascension' (meaning 'a rising' or 'ascendence') and later acquired the English agentive suffix '-ist' to form the specialized noun 'ascensionist'.
Initially related to the basic notion of 'rising' or 'the act of going up,' it evolved into a label for 'one who advocates or practices (spiritual) ascension' and, more rarely, 'one who ascends physically.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who believes in, promotes, or practices spiritual ascension (the idea of rising to a higher spiritual state or plane).
Many new religious movements include ascensionists who pursue practices intended to bring about spiritual elevation.
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Noun 2
a person who ascends physically, e.g. a climber or mountaineer (rare, figurative or descriptive use).
Historically the term could be used to describe an ascensionist who tackled the steep faces of the gorge.
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Last updated: 2025/10/26 04:40