restorationist
|res-to-ra-tion-ist|
/ˌrɛstəˈreɪʃənɪst/
one who seeks to restore
Etymology
'restorationist' originates from Modern English, formed by the noun 'restoration' + the agentive suffix '-ist', where 'restoration' meant 'the act of restoring or renewing'.
'restoration' came into English via Middle English 'restoracioun' / 'restoracioun' from Old French 'restoracion', which ultimately derives from Latin 'restauratio' (from the verb 'restaurare'). The agent suffix '-ist' (from Greek/French usage) was added in Modern English to form 'restorationist'.
Initially related to the act or process of restoring ('the act of renewing, repairing, or returning to a former state'), the term developed to include a person who advocates or carries out such restoration, and later also took on a specialized sense for members of religious 'restoration' movements.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who supports, advocates, or performs the restoration of something (such as a building, work of art, system, or tradition) to a former or improved state.
The restorationist argued that the historic theater should be returned to its original design rather than modernized.
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Noun 2
a person who advocates or is a member of a movement aiming to restore a religion (especially Christianity) to what is perceived as its original or pure form (e.g., an adherent of the 19th-century Restoration Movement).
Many restorationists in the 19th century sought to remove later traditions and return to apostolic practices.
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Last updated: 2025/12/16 00:10