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Glite Dictionary
liturgist

liturgist

1 9.6
A person who plans and leads religious services and rituals
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪtərdʒɪst/
  • Specialized
translation icon : liturgista
  • During the service, the liturgist explained the significance of each ritual to the congregation.
  • liturgists and theologians
  • liturgists and educators
  • liturgists and religious

Examples

  • The liturgist carefully planned the order of service for the upcoming wedding ceremony.

  • As a dedicated liturgist, she ensures that every ritual is performed with reverence and meaning.

  • Pastor Scott Maxwell served as liturgist.

    Blog text (12)

  • Liturgists have established ways of assessing the impact of changes.

    Blog text (6)

  • The priests come and go, but the parish secretary, bookkeeper, council, liturgist, etc., stay.

    Blog text (16)

  • A few caveats from a liturgist with a special interest in the Jewish roots of Christian worship:

    Blog text (33)

  • These same progressive liturgists are also preoccupied with the type and amount of bread and wine the congregation receives.

    Blog text (27)

Synonyms

spiritual leader
vsliturgist
23 3.9

A person who guides others in religious beliefs and inner life

is more focused on ritual expertise and leading formal ceremonies rather than guidance
officiant
vsliturgist
3 7.9

A person who leads a religious ceremony like a wedding

is an expert in liturgical practice and theory rather than only leading
celebrant
vsliturgist
1 7.2

A priest or minister who leads a religious service and gives blessings

is broader, covering expertise or leadership across many liturgical rites beyond one ceremony
ritualist
vsliturgist
8.2

A person who studies religious ceremonies and traditions

is an expert who also leads religious ceremonies rather than only studying them
pontificator
vsliturgist
  • Specialized
9.9

A bishop who leads a serious church ceremony

is less about rank and more about specialized liturgical knowledge and general leadership

Surface Forms

liturgist singular
liturgists plural

Morphology

liturgist = liturgy (transparent) = liturgy + ist

The agentive suffix '-ist' added to 'liturgy' yields a straightforward meaning 'one who practices or is an expert in liturgy'.

Etymology

Liturgist comes from the Greek word leitourgia 'public service' and leitourgos 'public worker', both built on ergon 'work'. So a liturgist is literally someone who runs the public 'service', which is why the word means a person who leads or plans religious ceremonies.