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syncretist

syncretist

9.8
A person who mixes different beliefs or practices
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪŋkrɪtɪst/
translation icon : sincretista
  • Many syncretists advocate for understanding and respecting diverse philosophies.

Examples

  • To be human is to be a syncretist.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The construction of Hinduism as inherently pluralist, syncretist, and tolerant does not hold up under close scrutiny.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Consequently, I propose that the most tenable position is to reject what Garry Rodan calls "false monoliths" (n76) and to embrace a syncretist position.

    Academic text (2000)
  • A syncretist seeks to blend various cultural traditions into a cohesive belief system.

  • As a syncretist, she incorporates elements from multiple religions in her spiritual practices.

Synonyms

fusionist
vssyncretist
8.4

A person who brings different ideas or groups together

focuses on mixing beliefs and doctrines, especially in religion or philosophy
eclecticist
vssyncretist
9.9

A person who chooses ideas and ways of doing things from many different sources

emphasizes blending different belief systems rather than choosing among sources
hybridist
vssyncretist
8.3

A person who supports mixing different methods and technologies

applies combination to beliefs and philosophies rather than to tools or technologies

Antonyms

28 6.8

A person who wants rules and standards followed exactly

Holding strongly to old customs and resisting change

How Syncretic

syncretist
9.8
eclectic
1 7.2
pluralist
2 6.5
sectarian
1 8.2

Surface Forms

syncretist singular
syncretists plural

Morphology

syncretist = syncretism (transparent) = syn + cret + ist

The noun meaning 'a person who combines different beliefs' is transparently derived by adding '-ist' to 'syncretism' to indicate an adherent or proponent.

Etymology

Syncretist comes from the Greek parts syn- 'together' and a part once linked to Crete ('people from Crete'), and a helpful way to remember it is to think of different traditions being joined. So a syncretist is a person who mixes beliefs or practices from different traditions.