millenarianism
|mil-len-ar-i-an-ism|
🇺🇸
/ˌmɪlɪəˈnɛriənɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɪlɪəˈnɛərɪənɪzəm/
belief in a coming 1000-year (or radical) transformative age
Etymology
'millenarianism' originates from Late Latin/Medieval Latin, specifically the Medieval Latin word 'millenarianismus', where 'mille' meant 'thousand' and 'annus' meant 'year'.
'millenarianism' developed from Medieval Latin 'millenarianismus' (formed from 'millenarian' + the suffix '-ism') into English usage in the 16th–17th centuries; the English noun reflects the combination of the root referring to a 'thousand years' and the ideological suffix.
Initially, it referred specifically to the Christian doctrine of a literal 1,000-year reign (a 'millennium'); over time it broadened to denote any belief or movement expecting an imminent radical or utopian transformation.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the belief in a coming major transformation of society — often a coming 'millennium' (a thousand-year golden age) — typically expected to bring about a perfect or radically changed world; especially a religious doctrine about a future 1,000-year reign of peace.
Millenarianism gained followers during periods of social crisis.
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Noun 2
a social or political movement motivated by the expectation of an imminent radical transformation of society, often leading to attempts to bring about that transformation.
Many scholars described the uprising as a form of millenarianism rather than a conventional political revolt.
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Last updated: 2025/12/09 09:02