Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
quietist

quietist

1 9.9
A person who seeks inner peace through silent prayer and calm thinking
  • noun
  • /ˈkwaɪɪtɪst/
  • Specialized
: quietista
  • Many quietists believe that a deep connection with spirituality can be achieved through personal stillness.

Examples

  • The intention of Friends in the Quietist period was not to become like the worshipers of the Golden Calf.

    Blog text (18)

  • I understand why the quietists have stayed and how they have survived so far.

    Blog text (1)

  • I guess I'm a quietist, although before reading this article I didn't think of myself that way.

    Blog text (1)

  • If the followers of Islam were quietist and non-expansionist, then fewer people would have a problem with them.

    Blog text (8)

  • And I think his term "quietist" perfectly sums up the "lives of quiet desperation" of many Californians.

    Blog text (1)

  • The quietist preferred to spend hours in meditation, seeking inner peace through silent contemplation.

  • In his writings, the philosopher often acknowledged the importance of being a quietist in times of turmoil.

Synonyms

meditator
vsquietist
4 3.7

A person who sits quietly and focuses on breathing to relax

values inner passive stillness and religious mystic devotion rather than active technique
contemplative
vsquietist
1 6.7

A person who spends a lot of time in quiet prayer or thought

emphasizes passive mystical inner stillness rather than general thought

Antonyms

activist
60 3.7

Taking part in actions for political or social change

interventionist
8 7.1

Supporting government action to solve problems

How Passive

recluse
20 7.8
quietist
  • Specialized
1 9.9
participant
332 2.4
activist
60 3.7

Surface Forms

quietist singular
quietists plural

Morphology

quietist = quietism (semi-transparent) = quiet + quietism + ism + ist

The word is a regular -ist noun built on the specialized base 'quietism', so the derivation is clear but the meaning depends on a doctrinal term.

Etymology

The word quietist comes from the common word quiet, from the Latin 'quies' meaning 'rest', plus the ending -ist that means a person who practices or believes something. So a quietist is literally a person who practices 'quiet' or inner stillness, which is why the word is used for religious people who seek calm, passive prayer and deep contemplation.