homoousian
|ho-mo-ous-i-an|
🇺🇸
/ˌhoʊmoʊˈuːʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌhɒməʊˈuːʃ(ə)n/
same substance
Etymology
'homoousian' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'homoousios', where 'homo-' meant 'same' and 'ousia' meant 'essence' or 'substance'.
'homoousian' changed from the Greek theological term 'homoousios' and passed into Late Latin/Medieval Latin (e.g. 'homoousius'), then into English by adding the adjectival/noun-forming suffix '-ian' to create 'homoousian'.
Initially it meant 'of the same substance' in early Christological debates (4th century); over time the term has retained this specialized theological meaning and is still used to denote 'of the same essence'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who holds or advocates the doctrine that the Son is of the same substance as the Father.
The homoousians defended the Nicene term 'homoousios' against Arian objections.
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Adjective 1
relating to or affirming the doctrine that the Son is of the same substance or essence as the Father (in Christian theology; associated with the Nicene formula).
The council adopted a homoousian formulation to assert the Son's full divinity.
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Last updated: 2025/09/26 08:21