Christianist!

“Christianist” is a dubious new word recently submitted by the public to Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary. I wonder who uses such a word? Read on for its definition…

christianist (noun): one who advocates the reordering of society and government in accordance with fundamentalist Christian interpretations of the Bible.

Example of use: The distinction between Christian and Christianist echoes the distinction we make between Muslim and Islamist.

Quote from site…

When you notice a new word - on the radio, in a book or magazine, or online - and discover that it’s not in the dictionary, then it’s a good candidate for Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary. Some words catch on, some don’t. It usually takes a few years for a word to enter the language and be used by many people in many different places. Lexicographers collect the evidence of new words used in print to determine when they are to be entered in the dictionary.

The Open Dictionary is a place to record new or specialized words or old words with new meanings, and some of the more intriguing new words and expressions submitted to the Open Dictionary at http://www.merriam-webster.com/ make it into this semimonthly roundup at the Britannica Blog. Some of these words are being used in active English but have not yet found their way into the pages of print dictionaries. Others are clever or useful coinages.

We welcome your contributions to the Open Dictionary - simply click here to join the fun.

enjoy, ron